HomeMy WebLinkAboutExplorers Awards
Contact: Jennifer Bennerotte, Communications & Marketing Director
Phone 952-833-9520 • Fax 952-826-0389 • Web www.CityofEdina.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local Explorers Posts win awards
Edina, Minn., March 16, 2011 – Two of the Explorers Posts in Edina recently received awards
from Learning for Life’s Northern Star Council.
Explorers is for young people ages 14 to 20 who are interested in pursuing a career in a particular field. Exploring is a
national program of Learning for Life. Exploring’s purpose is to provide experiences to help young people mature and to
prepare them to become responsible and caring adults. Organizations that sponsor Explorers posts match their people
and program resources to the interests of young people in the community. The result is a program of activities that
helps youth pursue their special interests, grow and develop. Exploring programs are based on five areas of emphasis:
career opportunities, life skills, citizenship, character education and leadership experience.
The Northern Star Exploring Program includes posts in 21 counties across central Minnesota (Anoka, Carver,
Chippewa, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Le Sueur, McLeod, Meeker, Ramsey, Renville,
Rice, Scott, Washington, Wright, and Yellow Medicine, and portions of Stearns and Swift) , and four western Wisconsin
counties (Pierce, St. Croix, Polk and Burnett). Locally, a Communications Post is sponsored by the City of Edina’s
Communications & Marketing Department and a Police Explorers Post is sponsored by the Edina and Eden Prairie
police departments.
“Exploring provides youth in our community with hands-on exposure to careers while building leadership skills. It’s
made possible through a wonderful partnership of the Northern Star Council with area employers and industry
associations,” said Northern Star Council Exploring Committee Chairman Roger Green. “The Awards Banquet is an
opportunity to recognize those individual youth and advisors as well as entire posts who have done exemplary work in
the last year.”
Edina High School student J. D. Loyle of Edina Communications Explorers Post received the New Explorer of the Year
Award at the Northern Star annual banquet held Wednesday, March 16, at the Northern Star Base Camp at Fort
Snelling. The award is given annually to a first-time registered Explorer who has demonstrated remarkable service to his
or her post, as well as social and career skills. In addition to the regular activities of the post, J.D. has provided volunteer
assistance on many projects of the City’s Communications & Marketing Department and with community events such
as the 50th & France Business & Professional Association’s Pumpkin Festival.
City of Edina Communications & Marketing Director Jennifer Bennerotte was presented the New Advisor of the Year
Award, an award given to a first-time registered adult advisor who has demonstrated leadership and career specific skills.
Edina Communications Post 3411 was also presented the Marketing Award, given to the post that displays the best
marketing for their post and the Exploring program.
More
Both Edina Communications Post 3411 and Edina-Eden Prairie Police Explorers Post 925 received the National
Exploring Excellence Award, an award presented to all posts that have met the criteria for national recognition of quality
in post organization and programming.
For more information about Exploring, visit www.ExploreNow.org. For more information about Edina
Communications Explorers Post, contact Jennifer Bennerotte at 952-826-0359 or JBennerotte@ci.edina.mn.us. For
more information about the Police Explorers Post, contact Officer Kenna Dick at 952-826-1610 or
kdick@ci.edina.mn.us.
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