MYP Youth Excellence Awards 2026
MY Project USA’s Youth Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding young people and the allies, advocates, organizations, and community leaders who support, empower, and create opportunities for youth.
Originally established in honor of Deah Barakat and Chrys Gee, the awards recognize the values they represented: service, compassion, activism, social justice, and a commitment to building stronger communities. Over the years, this recognition has expanded to celebrate excellence in youth leadership, resilience, advocacy, journalism and media, community service, and other areas of achievement and impact.
The awards also recognize those who stand beside young people and help make their success possible, including educators, advocates, nonprofit and community organizations, public servants, elected officials, and other youth allies working to advance opportunity, equity, and social justice.
For 2026, public nominations are open for the Deah Barakat Award and Chrys Gee Award. Additional Youth Excellence Awards and special recognitions, including the Most Resilient Youth Award, will be selected through our programs, partners, and community networks. We hope to expand public nominations to additional award categories in future years.Explore the awards below to learn more about this year’s nomination process.
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More About The Deah Barakat Annual Awards
The Deah Barakat Awards honor the legacy of Deah Shaddy Barakat, a 23-year-old Syrian American dental student whose life was rooted in faith, compassion, and service to others.
Deah regularly served people experiencing homelessness and was preparing to travel to Turkey with fellow dental students to provide dental care to Syrian refugees. On February 10, 2015, Deah, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, and her sister Razan Abu-Salha were tragically killed in the Chapel Hill shooting. Today, they are remembered around the world as “Our Three Winners.”
Their lives and legacy continue to inspire young people to serve, lead, and work for stronger and more compassionate communities.
MY Project USA Founder & CEO Zerqa Abid has known the Barakat family since Deah was a child, making his loss deeply personal to her and the MY Project USA family. At the request of Deah’s father, Namee Barakat, our first thrift store was named “MY Deah’s,” reflecting our commitment to carrying forward the legacy of Deah, Yusor, and Razan.
Through these awards, we recognize young people from across Central Ohio who demonstrate exceptional leadership, community service, advocacy, and commitment to helping others, continuing the spirit of service exemplified by Our Three Winners.
May Deah, Yusor, and Razan rest in peace and receive the highest reward in Heaven.
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More About The Chrys Gee Activist Award:
Chrys Gee was a devoted wife and mother from Columbus, Ohio, who emerged as a passionate activist in the aftermath of the 2016 elections. Although she had always worked to make the world a better place, following that pivotal year, Chrys became a constant and inspiring presence in her community.
Together with her husband and children, she attended nearly every rally, march, and vigil. She showed up for hearings and testimonies, visited legislators’ offices, voiced her concerns, and advocated tirelessly for a better future. Chrys never sought leadership or recognition — she simply showed up, selflessly and consistently, whenever and wherever she was needed.
When she wasn’t at the forefront fighting for justice, Chrys was behind the scenes, doing the hard, often unseen work that keeps grassroots movements alive.
Chrys deeply cared about her community. She volunteered at the MY Project USA warehouse, helped at her children’s school, and supported immigrant and refugee neighbors in this sanctuary city with her laughter, love, time, and resources. She was a doer with an incredible heart — giving selflessly in every way she could.
Her sudden passing in December 2018 was a heartbreaking loss and left an irreplaceable void in our community. The Chrys Gee Activist Award honors her remarkable spirit and continues her legacy, inspiring others to carry forward the work and values she so passionately embodied.
Nomination Process
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Family members, friends, employers, teachers, and community members are welcome to submit nominations.
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Employees may not nominate their employers.
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A separate MY Project USA Awards 2026 Nomination Form must be completed for each nominee.
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All nomination forms must be submitted online by Monday, October 5th.
Deah’s Awards General Criteria
These awards honor exceptional individuals who embody volunteerism and community service as a way of life. Recipients exemplify compassion, responsibility, and a commitment to solving community challenges. Each award winner demonstrates selfless and extraordinary contributions—beyond the expectations of their regular duties—for the betterment of their local community and beyond.
1. Deah's Changemaker of the Year Award
This award recognizes a young individual (25 years old or younger) who:
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Lives in an underserved, immigrant, or refugee community and works tirelessly to uplift and support their people.
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Freely and selflessly dedicates time to community activities.
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Inspires others to serve and serves as a positive role model.
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Has founded or made significant contributions to an initiative that meaningfully improves lives within their community.
2. Deah's Excellence in Community Service & Leadership Award
This award recognizes an individual who:
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Extends their service beyond their own community to support underserved, immigrant, and refugee populations.
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Has taken on a leadership role in managing a community service initiative or a key part of a larger project for at least six months.
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Has successfully built and sustained a team of volunteers.
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Receives positive feedback from team members and peers.
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Freely and selflessly dedicates time to community service.
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Inspires others to serve and acts as a role model.
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Has made a measurable, positive impact on other community projects, programs, or individuals.
Note: Two versions of this award will be presented — one to a young person and one to an adult.
3. Deah's Community Service Award
This award recognizes young individuals (25 years old or younger) who:
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Have shown consistent dedication throughout the year to supporting a community initiative within an underserved, immigrant, or refugee community.
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Freely and selflessly contribute their time to community service.
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Inspire others to serve and lead by example.
Note: Multiple recipients will be honored in this category.
Chrys Gee Award Nomination Criteria
Specifically, the recipient of this award will be an individual who:
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Is over the age of 18
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Has worked diligently throughout the year to support initiatives in underserved communities
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Actively participates in political campaigns or grassroots organizations that advance positive social change
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Freely and selflessly contributes time and energy to community activism
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Inspires others to engage in service and acts as a role model
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Extends their efforts beyond their immediate circle to serve as an active ally to marginalized communities
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