Mason City youth program wins top award

Mason City’s the recipient of the “Our Town Award” given to just ten communities nationwide, for the work of its Youth Task Force. Youth Task Force chair Lori Henry says it’s a prestigious honor.She says only ten of these awards will be given to cities across the U.S. in the next five years. The award honors not only the work of the Youth task Force, but the planning it’s done for the future. Youth intern Richard Dedor says the “Focus on Youth” organized by the task force showed people the assets young people have.Youth Task Force director Mary Schissel says the award includes a two-year, fifty-thousand-dollar grant.The money will be used to run neighborhood projects. The “Jostens Our Town Award” and grant program is run in conjunction with the Search Institute, an independent, non-profit organization.