The Do Something Award recognizes amazing young people. Like seriously amazing young people. Nine nominees -who saw a problem in the world and then tackled it will each win $10,000 for their cause. And one lucky winner will receive a whopping $100,000!  This award celebrates young people making a difference in the world.  The Do Something Award is a program of Do Something, a New York-based not-for-profit that reaches about 11.5 million young people annually. It is very excited that someone from the Participant Media family is up for an award! Adam Sterling, one of the subjects in Darfur Now, is one of the finalists! You can read more about him below.

Check out this video about their current Do Something 101 campaign.

And the 2008 Do Something Award nominees are…Chad Bullock (19), ANTI-TOBACCO ACTIVIST – Chad is the leading youth anti-tobacco activist and he lives right in the middle of tobacco country. He works with politicians, companies, not for profits and other teens. One of his biggest successes was making the Durham Bulls Arena a smoke-free building.

Caitlin Cohen (22), MALI HEALTH ORGANIZATION PROJECT (MHOP) – Most people can’t find Mali on a map. Caitlin not only volunteered there in slums, she Caitlin founded the Mali Health Organizing Project which has reached 60,000 people with programs for health outreach, microfinance, literacy and peer education.

Kathryn Cunningham (22), POWER UP GAMBIA – While in Gambia, Kathryn witnessed an infant die because an incubator lacked electricity. She decided something needed to be done. Upon returning to the United States, Kathryn founded Power Up Gambia with the mission of providing sustainable solar energy to hospitals and clinics in Gambia. This summer, 72 life-giving solar panels will have been installed in Gambia.

Kjerstin Erickson (24), FORGE – Kjerstin spent time volunteering in a refugee camp in Botswana and became addicted to helping refugees. Frustrated with government programs, she started her own organization. To date, FORGE has implemented over 60 community development projects and serves more than 60,000 refugees from five African countries.

Dallas Jessup (16), JUST YELL FIRE – Don’t mess with Dallas. This cute blonde is a Tae Kwon Do black belt and an instructor in Filipino Street Fighting. After reading about a string of assaults in her area, she decided to use her skills to help teens defend themselves. Her program has been distributed to over 415,000 teens worldwide.

Pat Pedraja (13), DRIVING FOR DONORS – At the age of 10, Pat developed leukemia. Pat almost died because he is Latino and they couldn’t find a bone marrow match. Pat convinced his mom to get in a car and Drive for Donors. Pat sold sponsorship on his bald head to fund the trip and they added 8,000 donors to the registry. They have already made 3 life saving matches and are planning a 2008 International Tour. He is now 13 still fighting, but still on chemo.

Zander Srodes (18), TURTLE TALKS – Sea turtles are endangered. Zander is saving them. He works with marine biologists, educators, and politicians to raise awareness and change policies. And Zander has written a book about the plight of sea turtles that has been translated into more than 4 languages.

Adam Sterling (25), SUDAN DIVESTMENT TASK FORCE (Part of Genocide Intervention Network) – Adam comes from a family of Holocaust survivors. He knows the horror of genocide. So when he learned of the atrocities occurring in Darfur, he had to act. Adam is one of the people who brought Darfur to the world’s attention. He founded an organization that targets the Sudanese government’s pocketbook: successfully drafting and lobbing for the “Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act,” signed by President Bush in December of 2007. As a result of Adam’s efforts, nine major companies have ceased operations in Sudan. He is the subject of the documentary film Darfur Now.(TakePart.com and Participant Media are so excited for Adam!!!)

Daniel Zoughbie (23), GLOBAL MICRO-CLINIC PROJECT (GMCP) – Daniel’s family is from Palestine. Because there was no health clinic, Daniel’s grandmother died from diabetes. In her memory, he began the Global Micro-Clinic Project, establishing 50 community based “micro-clinics” serving poor people in the Middle East.

takepart and cast your vote at http://www.teenchoiceawards.com/dosomething/ where you can also find lots of great take action links. Also takepart check out http://www.dosomething.org. Do Something believes young people have the power to make a difference. It is their aim to inspire, support and celebrate a generation of do-ers: people who see the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action. The Do Something website is a community where young people learn, listen, speak, vote, volunteer, ask, and take action to make the world a better place. Currently, only 23% of this generation actively volunteers. Do Something’s hope is to create a do something generation: a world where more than 51% of young people are involved with community action.