Children's Author Tells America's Youth to 'Dream Big' by Inspiring the Hero in Every Child

BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Author T.A. Barron says that his bestselling children's books about the legendary Merlin allow him to explore the idea that "all of us have a magical person hidden inside of ourselves."   It is this belief that led him to create the Barron Prize for Young Heroes, which encourages young people to find their inner hero and make a difference in the world.

Every year since its inception in 1999, the Barron Prize for Young Heroes honors ten young leaders, ages 8 to 18, who have planned and executed significant projects to help their fellow human beings and/or to protect the planet.  Recipients of the Barron Prize each receive a cash stipend of $2500 to be applied to their education or service project.

"As an author I have found great pleasure in writing novels for children about wise and courageous heroes," says T.A. Barron.  "As the founder of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, named for my mother, I find even greater pleasure in turning the spotlight on America's heroic kids. I marvel at the differences that these young heroes are making in positively impacting the lives of others and the environment."

This year the Barron Prize conducted a survey among its 10 Barron Prize Winners and Five Distinguished Finalists, ages 9 – 18 years of age, to learn that all of these outstanding young people shared a common link in the early education experiences that they received.  From 3-5 years of age, all of the winners attended either a head start or pre-K program, except for one person who was home schooled. All of the recipients regularly visited a library and either listened to music, created arts and crafts, sang or played a musical instrument (piano or violin), and attended sports or dance classes after school.  In addition, all of the recipients were read to every day at home and were involved in learning consisting of counting, reading, spelling and writing activities.

"It is apparent that the learning experienced in the early years significantly contributes to one's success in later life as evidenced by the contributions to society and the environment made by these Young Heroes," adds T.A. Barron.  "Obviously, early learning and books definitely have an impact on the outcomes for excellence."

The 2010 recipients of the Barron Prize for Young Heroes include:

Erich Christian, age 17, of Gainesville, Florida, who developed a biodiesel production facility at his high school that converts used vegetable oil into fuel that powers the school's lawn equipment.

Jaclyn Murphy, age 16, of Hopewell Junction, New York, who created Friends of Jaclyn, a non-profit foundation that has paired more than 200 children fighting brain cancer with college athletic teams as a way to support young cancer patients and improve their healing process.

Cole Rasenberger, age 9, of Davidson, North Carolina, who rallied his entire elementary school to sign and send 2,250 postcards he designed to the heads of fast-food companies, asking them to increase their use of recycled products and decrease their reliance on paper made from endangered North Carolina coastal forests.

Chloe Maxmin, age 17, of Nobleboro, Maine, who founded the Climate Action Club to help local residents fight global warming and whose student-led reusable bag campaign was recently adopted as the model for a similar statewide program.

David Sanchez, age 18, of Racine, Wisconsin, who created Job-Link Racine, which has connected hundreds of homeless and low-income teens with part-time job opportunities.

Sarah Lambert, age 16, of Lubbock, Texas, who designed and built a carbon neutral, 800-square-foot environmental education center for Girl Scouts constructed entirely from green materials. Sarah has also developed a new environmental challenge badge for Girl Scouts worldwide.

Michala Riggle, age 13, of Louisville, Kentucky, whose Beading to Beat Autism project has raised over $300,000 for autism treatment by involving hundreds of volunteers who create and sell beaded bracelets.

Heidi Keller, age 18, of South Royalton, Vermont, who created a free magazine to educate residents in her rural town about environmental and humanitarian issues. The magazine's ad sales generate funding (over $12,000 so far) for Change the World Kids, a group of youth activists working in Vermont and around the world to protect the environment and help others.

Shannon McNamara, age 16, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, who founded SHARE (Shannon's After-School Reading Exchange), an initiative in Tanzania that has stocked four libraries with over 20,000 books and is giving girls after-school and weekend support with reading.

Alec Loorz, age 15, of Oakview, California, who created Kids vs. Global Warming to educate his peers about climate change and who is using technology, social media, and inspiring presentations to rally them to action.

The winners of the Barron Prize Award, both past and present, represent the great diversity of America.  They are female and male, urban and rural, and from varied backgrounds.  The Barron Prize for Young Heroes is in association with National Geographic Education Foundation; the Jane Goodall Institute; Youth Service America; and Student Conservation Association.  For more information on the Barron Prize for Young Heroes, visit the Web site at www.barronprize.org or www.tabarron.com.

SOURCE Barron Prize for Young Heroes