The 2013 HVCASA Community Asset Builder Award was presented to Tim Salem, principal of Scotts Ridge Middle School in Ridgefield.
Each year this award goes to someone who impacts youth and communities in an extraordinary way. In particular the award recognizes people who have promoted positive youth development in our region.
This past April, Tim & his former students at Danbury High School celebrated the completion of “The Promise School” in Darfur that was the culmination of their four-year campaign to raise awareness about genocide in the country.
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Tim is currently working on his new movie, “Put It Into Words”. This film is about the journey of a teenager who is struggling to find his personal identity, and is just one element of Salem's extensive project of bringing character-building lessons into the classroom. The project also has a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/PutitintoWords, with video interviews of people discussing teachers who inspired them.
This award was originally given in 2010 to Carl Bailey who initiated the Danbury Grassroots Tennis & Enrichment Program. Housatonic Valley Coalition Against Substance Abuse looks for potential candidates who start with a positive vision, contribute time and expertise, use skills to engage other people, enhance relationships, understand that “assets” in youth are nurtured and asset building never stops, and emphasize long-term change.
