Longtime Executive Director of the International Youth Organization (IYO) Carolyn Wallace has been chosen as the 2017 National Legacy Achievement Award winner over the weekend.
According to a press release, Executive Director Wallace was selected by the Corps National Network Achievement Awards Organization who recognizes community leaders who have twenty years or more of contribution to the organization and has served in the capacity of CEO, Executive Director, Board Member, or Vice President for the Corp.
Officials at the agency said that the honor would be bestowed on Executive Director Wallace this Sunday, February 12th on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. which will be followed up by a breakfast that will be held on Wednesday, February 15th at an awards breakfast where the Honorable Congressman Donald Payne Jr. will present the award.
In a holistic approach to improving the lives of young people in "challenged neighborhoods," IYO was founded by Executive Director Wallace with her husband the late James Wallace about 45 years ago according to a spokesperson for the organization.
The pairs' community service beliefs were rewarded as IYO based in Newark was selected as one of 10 cities that changed youth the community and conservation services under the Urban Corps Expansion Project in 1984 the spokesperson said.
Executive Director Wallace and her husband assisted former Governor Tom Kean in his efforts to establish NJ Youth Corps which has now been in existence for over 30 years.
Participants that graduate from the “Corps” have proven that when given an opportunity they can excel.
Under IYO's Crime Prevention Through Job Creation Component", there are hundreds of youth and young adults that have been and are now gainfully employed the spokesperson said.