8th “YouSmile Student Awards”

18 July 2024 by georg gstrein

8^th “YouSmile Student Awards”

2024: Participation of more than 5.500 students and 155 schools

“You’re never too young to change the world!”

The moment that every year the YouSmilers, the student volunteers of the Organization, have been waiting for with impatience and anticipation, has arrived!

The 8^th YouSmile Awards were held on Tuesday, July 9th, at Gasholder 1 – Auditorium “Miltiadis Evert”, in Technopolis City of Athens, by the European Student Volunteer Network “YouSmile” and “The Smile of the Child”, with a touching attendance by students from schools in Attica who shared moments of emotion.

In an amphitheater full of children’s smiling faces and proud parents, and Dimitris Ouggarezos as always, the Presenter, this year the awards were a little different, as it was the protagonists of “Smile”, the children volunteers from YouSmile themselves who carried out the awarding of the prizes- Athena, Aliki, Alysia, Anna, Ariadne, Irini, Elizabeth, Eliana, Elpida, Emmelia, Olga and Natalia.

Every year, the YouSmile Awards are the most touching moment of YouSmile’s activities, as their aim is to encourage and support the voluntary initiatives and actions of students, on an individual or group level, while at the same time they are distinguished by their sense of contribution. In this year’s 8^th YouSmile Awards, every initiative that promotes solidarity, selflessness, care and concern for fellow human beings, every initiative that inspired young and older ones, and the same time created a positive impact on Society, was celebrated.

The President of the BoD of the Organization, Mr. Costas Yannopoulos, with emotion and indescribable joy, welcomed the attendees, greeted the student-volunteers and thanked them for being part of the YouSmile Network, while he also thanked their parents and their environment, who support them in every decision they make. Mr. Yannopoulos stated: “Children, continue with the same unmatched enthusiasm, raise your voice, and express yourselves through all these actions, your ideas. Hand over the baton to other children, so that we can all unite together to pass on the message against violence, bullying and every phenomenon that afflicts children today. You are the light of our lives, because in everything you do you always put your heart and soul into it”. It is important to mention that the joy was double for everyone, as Mr. Yannopoulos mentioned that on the same day “The Smile of the Child” was awarded as the Best Organization for 2024 at the Hellenic Responsible Business Awards 2024.

Ms. Sofia Voultepsi, Deputy Minister of Migration and Asylum, said “This celebration today, and the participation of so many volunteers in it -as volunteering is a gift of the soul- reminds me of personal experiences, where an uncertainty about tomorrow’s existence was prevalent, a fact that always pushes me to get involved with such initiatives as the YouSmile. I would like you to feel like I am one of you as it is a reward for me to be here among you. I congratulate parents, children and Mr. Yannopoulos for this initiative”. On behalf of the Municipality of Athens, the Deputy Mayor of Education, Digital Governance and Lifelong Learning, Mr. Panagiotis Paris Harlaftis, visibly moved, also gave a short greeting.

The 7 winners of the YouSmile Awards were selected -as every year- by the YouSmile student-volunteers following their own selection and voting, while all those who were nominated also received honorary commendations for their outstanding initiatives.

Below this year’s Awards and the unique personal story of each winner:

Maria | 16 year old saved a 10 year old child from drowning

Maria is the youngest certified rescuer in Europe, from the Humanitarian organization, Kids Save Lives. She lives in Thessaloniki, Greece, with her parents and 2 brothers. She loves the color pink, she likes backpacks, glass cases, notebooks and colored pens.

She won an award because… last summer she saved a little 10-year-old boy from drowning by providing first aid.

Kamal | Overcame the obstacles of immigration

Kamal is 17 years old and at the age of 6 he emigrated with his dad and sister from Egypt to Greece. He learned Greek when he was 10 years old and is now an excellent student. His goal is to study computer science and he is already preparing to take the Panhellenic exams. He plays the violin and sings, in El Sistema.

He won a prize because… he managed to overcome the difficulties of a foreign language and become, in only a few years, an A student.

Vasiliki | 6 year old helped her friend who was in a wheelchair

Vassiliki is 6 years old and is a student at a kindergarten in Kallithea. During the school year, her best friend was injured and was confined to a wheelchair for some time.

Throughout this experience, Vassiliki stood by her friend, helping and supporting her every day, in all school activities, including the dance at the school festival. Vassiliki loves puppies.

She won an award because… despite the adversity and difficulties her friend faced and while she is so young, she stood by her friend.

Elena | Student wrote a song about the accident in Tempi

Elena wrote a song for the one year anniversary of the Tempi accident and with the help of her friends she put it to music. She has a great love and affinity for the arts, and after graduation she wants to pursue visual arts and tattoo art.

She won an award because… she paid tribute to all those children who lost their lives through her art.

Alexandros | 14 year old boy travels 100km to school every day

Alexandros is 14 years old and lives in the village of Flambourari, in Zagori. Every day he travels 100km to go to school and back, as there is no provision for a school neared to him.

He won an award because… nothing can stop him, not even those miles, from doing what he wants to do.

Christos | 12 year old boy wrote a book about Internet addiction

Christos wrote a fiction book inspired by his gaming addiction and how he overcame it with the help of his little brother. He now chooses to play more basketball.

He won an award because… he found the strength to overcome his addiction and through his personal experience he chose to help others.

Agathi | Adult who inspired children

Mrs. Agathi, in charge of the school choir, when she learned that one of her students was absent due to an emergency hospitalization, she gathered the choir and sang one of his favorite songs under his house to show support and wish him well. Note* it was not the child’s birthday.

She won an award for… inspiring her students to care and nurture their friends in times of need.

An important moment of the awards was Maria Karystianou’s message for the song of 17-year-old Elena: “Elena, your song is wonderful! It expresses our pain and our truth about a crime that happened a year ago and remains shamefully unpunished. A tragic event that caused a variety of emotions in adults, triggered a young girl to express herself in this way, in the face of an event that shocked the whole society, and this shows bravery and fills us with hope. We humbly stand before the greatness and virtue of these sensitive young souls. And because we know very well that it takes both virtue and courage, let us take this bravery as an example and change things. Thank you so much Elena, for your soul’s testimony and the need to express yourself in the face of the unjust and the dark. We thank the young generation for standing by us. We will always be by your side and every move we make will be for your better future. With respect and immense love for you, and for the children who left before we could offer them. We will not stop until we can look you in the eye. Thank you”.

Every year, the ideas and new initiatives of children upgrade the YouSmile Student Volunteer Network, as in the 8 years of the YouSmile Awards more than 41.100 students from 838 primary and secondary schools from all over Greece have participated.

“The Smile of the Child” would like to thank from the bottom of its heart all the schools that participated with their actions and initiatives in the 8^th YouSmile Awards, the student-volunteers for their indescribable willingness to support the organization and implementation of the awards, the parents who support their children in their choices and all those who helped to make the 8^th YouSmile Awards a reality.

A big thank you to the Sponsors of this year’s Smile Awards, who contributed to the smooth and successful implementation of the awards: