Dr. Bernadine E. Ahonkhai, Founder & CEO, Coalition for Racial Equity and Social Justice (Coalition4Justice) is one of the winners of the 2024 Greater Philadelphia Social Innovation Awards. The Social Innovations Journal is a Greater Philadelphia-based organization that has recognized and awarded grass roots organizations for their amazing work since 2013. The 2024 Award considered nominees from Philadelphia and four other Counties in Pennsylvania – Chester, Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery.
The theme of the 2024 awards. “Achieving a More Just Society”, recognizes organic leadership who re-envision the challenges that communities face and find innovative solutions to reshape communities. According to the co-founder of Social Innovations Journal, Nicholas Torres, “the awards honor our region’s most passionate social innovators, entrepreneurs and change, makers whose work and social impact too often goes unacknowledged, yet their efforts are what makes our communities across Greater Philadelphia the thriving region of innovation and opportunity they are for all people”. Out of the 195 individuals and organizations nominated for the Awards, 65 made it to the finals in 11 categories. Dr. Ahonkhai was one of six finalists in the Equity and Justice category.
On Thursday, 25 January 2024, Social Innovation Journal announced the winners of the awards. Dr. Bernadine Ahonkhai was the first-place winner in the category of Equity and Justice for her YouthBuild Diversity Ambassador Leadership Program (YouthBuild DALP).
Dr. Bernadine Ahonkhai is 2nd from left in a Red Jacket.
Created in 2021 by Dr. Ahonkhai, YouthBuild Diversity Ambassador Leadership Program (YouthBuild DALP) trains middle and high school students to be diversity ambassadors and leaders in their schools and local communities. The program equips students with knowledge and tools to mitigate insensitivity, racial discrimination, stereotyping, racially based bullying, and cyberspace harassment. YouthBuild DALP was established as a catalyst for positive transformative change in schools and communities by investing in youth at a formative age. The program is supported by grants from the HealthSpark Foundation, Colmar, PA and the Montgomery County Grant Office, Pennsylvania. For more information about Coalition4Justice’s YouthBuild DALP and other programs and to learn about how you can be involved, visit us at www.coalition4justice.com.
