High schools are celebrating the success this fall of 77 Puyallup
School District students named Elizabeth Wesley Youth Merit Incentive
Award recipients.
The Puyallup students make up more than a third of the 202 student
scholars throughout Pierce County recognized for the honor by the Tacoma
Urban League during a September 19 award ceremony in Lakewood.
The Elizabeth Wesley Youth Merit Incentive Award program was created
in 1996 to recognize and honor African American youth in grades nine
through 11 for academic excellence, community involvement, and good
citizenship.
The award program is named for Elizabeth Wesley, a civic leader active in the founding of the Tacoma Urban League.
The league awards each of the student winners $350, and the Puyallup
School District award winners have their photos displayed in the South
Hill Mall.
Puyallup School District leadership employees raise money for the
program each year during a summer administrative conference. This year
leadership staff raised $19,000. Combined with a $10,000 outside
donation, the district contributed $29,000 to support future youth merit
incentive awards.
In addition to the ceremony honoring the Pierce County award
recipients, Puyallup School District winners are being honored this fall
at recognition events held at each of the three comprehensive high
schools.
To see the names of all 77 Puyallup School District Elizabeth Wesley
Youth Merit Incentive Award recipients and the schools they attend click here.
For more information about the Elizabeth Wesley Scholarship program, read the TNT article by Debbie Cafazzo published on October 5, 2015.