Pittsburgh, PA (February 18, 2020) – Over the past 30 years, the Laurel Highlands Council, Boy Scouts of America has honored a wide array of individuals, institutions, and even local businesses for their service to Scouting by presenting them with the Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award.
The Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award is a national recognition for those individuals and organizations who provide Scouting opportunities to youth in urban, rural, and at-risk communities with Scouting’s time-tested programs of good values and strong character development.
The Laurel Highlands Council, Boy Scouts of America is delighted to recognize our 2020 Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award to Mark Lewis and Duquesne University. In addition to the Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award, The Laurel Highlands Council will also be presenting William Strickland with the Livingstone M. Johnson Legacy Award for his commitment to serving Scouting and the community for over 40 years. The awards will be presented at the 31st Annual Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Awards Dinner on Thursday, February 20, 2020, at 6:00 PM at the Fairmont Pittsburgh located at 510 Market Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
The essence of leadership and service will be on display this evening; Not only from the award recipients but from the guest speaker of the evening, Andre Perry. Andre Perry is a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings Institution. His research focuses on race and structural inequality, education, and economic inclusion. A native of Pittsburgh, Perry earned his Ph.D. in education policy and leadership from the University of Maryland College Park.
Prior to his work at Brookings, Perry has been a founding dean, professor, award-winning journalist, and activist in the field of education. In 2015, Perry served on Louisiana Governor-elect John Bel Edward’s K-12 education transition committee, as well as New Orleans Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu’s transition team as its co-chair for education in 2010.
About the Laurel Highlands Council, Boy Scouts of America: For more than 110 years, the Laurel Highlands Council, Boy Scouts of America has been the foremost youth-serving organization in our community that develops character, citizenship, and fitness. It is our mission to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Laurel Highlands Council, Boy Scouts of America serves nearly 16,000 youth members and 4,000 volunteer adult leaders throughout its multi-state footprint serving Western Pennsylvania, Western Maryland, and parts of West Virginia, making it one of the largest councils in the Boy Scouts of America. More information on the Laurel Highlands Council, Boy Scouts of America can be found at www.lhcscouting.org or by contacting Alan Parks, Chief Operating Officer at alan.parks@scouting.org or (412) 325-7930.
