The Scout's Next Project seeks nominees

Do you know a child who’s working to make the world a better place? The Scout, a rustmedia publication, wants to hear about it for The Next Project, aiming to honor difference makers in Southeast Missouri who aren’t yet old enough to vote.

Jamie Phillips, project manager for rustmedia, said The Next Project was born out of the Newsmakers event, held each fall by business-oriented publication B Magazine, and the Semoball Awards, held each spring to recognize outstanding athletes.

“Our idea was, we have ways to recognize adults and athletes, so how do we recognize children going above and beyond?” Phillips said.

Children in the region are working to raise funds, build community, hold drives for supplies for those less fortunate, and they’re taking the reins themselves.

“We’re looking for kids who are doing great in school, maybe aced the ACT, but even if academics or athletics isn’t their thing, are they great at community service? Entrepreneurship? We want those kids, too,” Phillips said. “We need everybody.”

The Next Project is open to anyone age 7 to 17 in the Southeast Missouri region, to the southern Missouri border, north and west, Phillips said.

“We want it to be encompassing,” she said.

These children are already enriching the region, and it’s important to not only help nurture their ideas and help them grow, but also give them a reason to settle here as adults.

After honorees are chosen from nominations received in August and September, “We’ll start with a recognition, very similar to what we do with Newsmakers,” Phillips said. From there, honorees will be paired with a community leader as a mentor.

“It’s great if we give you an award when you’re 7, but that doesn’t really give you guidance,” Phillips said.

Each sponsor is asked to give monetarily and of their time, Phillips said, so it’s not simply a one-and-done certificate and handshake.

“We feel it’s our responsibility to connect people with people who can help each other be better, do better and grow,” Phillips said.

Phillips said she hopes to see sponsors from various fields, in hopes of pairing each recipient with someone whose interests align with their own.

“It’s valuable to be on the same path,” Phillips said.

“We understand that not everyone is a star athlete,” she said. “This is a great way to honor those in the same way we would with kids with Semoball.”

Phillips said she strongly encourages the public to nominate someone they see doing big things.

“So many of these children and their parents don’t necessarily see it as being outstanding. They might see it as their calling,” she said. “We want these stories so we can tell them and recognize them.

“I think kids these days are thinking so much bigger than I ever did as a child. They realize they are the future of the country, and I think a lot of them are thinking about everyone around them,” Phillips added.

For more information or to make a nomination, go to www.nextprojectmo.com.

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