The Ten Outstanding Young Americans (TOYA) program is an annual award given by JCI USA (formally known as the
United States Junior Chamber or the Jaycees). It is given to ten
Americans
Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Law of the United States, U.S. federal law does not equate nationality with Race (hu ...
between 18 and 40 years old who "exemplify the best attributes of the nation’s young people."
People considered for the
award
An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration.
An award may be d ...
are often submitted by JCI state organizations. For example, JCI Minnesota (
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
Junior Chamber
Junior Chamber International, commonly referred to as JCI, is a non-profit international non-governmental organization of young people between and years old. It has members in about 127 countries, and regional or national organizations in mo ...
) has a "Ten Outstanding Young Minnesotans" (TOYM) program. Similarly, the
Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
Junior Chamber has a similar "Outstanding Young Michiganders / Distinguished Service Award (OYM/DSA)" program.
[Nominations are sought for award , lansingstatejournal.com , Lansing State Journal](_blank)
/ref> These recipients, as well as the nominees from the other JCI USA state organizations, are nominated to be considered for the TOYA award. Membership in the organization is not a requirement to win the award.
/ref>
History
The concept for America's Ten Outstanding Young Men was fathered by Durward Howes, publisher of a yearly volume, "America's Young Men." Howes published in his books for 1934, 1935, and 1936 his own selections for the twelve outstanding young men in America. In the 1937 volume, he cut the list from twelve men to ten. It has remained that number to the present day.
In 1938, Howes gave Future Magazine, the former publication of the United States Jaycees, the exclusive right to publish his selection. As the organization's president in 1939-41, Howes felt that publishing this list would call attention to the important role of young men in the world of the day.
Through 1941, editors
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...
of Future Magazine selected the ten men with the assistance of Durward Howes and other judges. Since 1942, a panel of distinguished judges has made the selection process.
With the advent of women members into the organization, the U.S. Junior Chamber changed the program's name from Ten Outstanding Young Men of America to Ten Outstanding Young Americans in 1985. During the 1986 honors presentation, the first three women were honored at an historic ceremony celebrating the accomplishments of extraordinary young people of both genders.
Categories
Each year, the initial list of all nominees is narrowed to twenty-five finalists by a panel of screening judges, and a second set of judges determines the final list of ten honorees. The nominees are evaluated by a list of criteria and must have made notable achievements in at least three areas.
Rewards
1954 recipient Arthur M. Kraft designed the "Silver Hands" trophy
A trophy is a tangible, decorative item used to remind of a specific achievement, serving as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most commonly awarded for sports, sporting events, ranging from youth sports to professional level athlet ...
each honoree receives. The inscription on its base reads, "The hope of mankind lies in the hands of youth and action. Each honoree has shown a commitment to that hope, reminding all Americans that no problem is too difficult when handled with grace, ingenuity, courage, and determination."
The trophy is named "JAYSON", an acronym standing for "Jaycees: Active Youth Serving Our Nation." Each one weighs 11.5 lbs and is constructed of a marble base with nickel-plated hands. In addition to the artistically designed trophy, each honoree is presented with a framed certificate to display prominently in their home or work space. They are also presented with a lapel pin that was specially designed and crafted by Esco out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
. The pin features the TOYA emblem
An emblem is an abstract art, abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a monarch or saint.
Emblems vs. symbols
Although the words ''emblem'' and ''symbol'' ...
surrounded by ten black onyx stones and is similar to the traditional Jaycee national officer pins. Both the certificate and pin are presented to each of the honorees during a private luncheon the day of the public presentation.
See also
* List of Ten Outstanding Young Americans
References
{{Reflist
*
Awards honoring children or youth