Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award given for anti-poverty engagement
Multi-Media Youth Arts Contests educates 7-12th graders on causes of poverty

WASHINGTON—The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has announced two major initiatives to involve young Catholics in learning about the Church’s social teaching and to recognize young adults for their efforts to address the root causes of poverty and injustice. CCHD is the domestic anti-poverty social justice program of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
           
The Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award is given to a young adult age 18-30 who has demonstrated leadership against the causes of poverty and injustice in the U.S. The award aims to promote young people as leaders, honor their work in their parishes/organizations and strengthen the Catholic community’s participation in CCHD’s anti-poverty mission.
           
Nominations may be submitted by a pastor, university faculty or staff, a local CCHD diocesan director, a mentor or a colleague. The deadline for nominations is July 31. The award is presented at a reception at the November meeting of the U.S. bishops. For more information about the award, including profiles of past winners, visit http://www.usccb.org/cchd/youth.shtml#cardinal.
           
The 2010 CCHD Multi-Media Youth Arts Contest is a unique tool for schools and parishes to engage youth in grades 7 through 12 in learning about the causes of poverty, Catholic social teaching and the work and witness of groups funded by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. The 2010 Contest theme is “Empowering Neighborhoods, Uprooting Poverty.” All art forms, including YouTube videos, music, painting, drama, writing and PowerPoint slideshows, are welcome.
           
Ralph McCloud, Director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, said about the 2010 contest: “The contest is a unique educational opportunity. It is an unusual tool for schools and parishes to help young Catholics interact with organizations in their own community that are working to address poverty. It then equips these young people to use their talents and what they have learned to live out their faith by educating others.”
           
For more information about the contest, including lesson plans and activities for youth and campus ministers and teachers of all disciplines, visit http://www.usccb.org/cchd/contestmaterials.shtml.
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