The Governor's Center for Local Government Services has selected Schuylkill County Youth Summit to be this year's recipient of the Governor's Awards for Local Government Excellence.

The award will be presented todayat the Governor's Mansion in Harrisburg during the Local Government Day celebration. The "Local Government Week" designation was created by state legislators to honor local officials and encourage citizens to learn how local government functions and affects residents and businesses.The theme for the award this year is "Building Community Partnerships."The goal of Schuylkill County Youth Summit is to engage, equip and support youth in the county as they build their futures. Students from all Schuylkill County schools come together to address issues they have identified as important to youth. This year they addressed the issue of blight in parks, neighborhoods and school property. The students chose projects for their school districts to find solutions to remedy blight."The Youth Summit is a true example of success," said county Commissioner Gary Hess. "It shows how we all succeed when we work together and build community partnerships. By engaging our younger citizens in the process, we begin to construct a road to a bright future for Schuylkill County."Although the full summit meets only once a year, a group of students called Youth Ambassadors meet every month to address issues.The Schuylkill County Youth Summit is facilitated by Schuylkill County's VISION. A community advisory group is active in providing resources and support to the summit.