Promoting Mi'kmaq culture, fighting poverty and raising awareness of issues facing the transgender community are some of the ways Nova Scotia students are promoting respectful citizenship.

Students from across the province will attend a ceremony at Government House on National Anti-bullying Day, Wednesday, Feb. 25, to receive the second Lieutenant Governor's Respectful Citizenship Award. 

"Young people across the province are taking action to address the difficult issues facing their schools and communities," said Lt.-Gov. J.J. Grant. "It is my great honour to recognize these brave and compassionate students for their outstanding achievements and to thank them for inspiring people of all ages to work towards a more inclusive society." 

The award recognizes students who demonstrate leadership and commitment to creating safe and inclusive spaces, where bullying is not accepted and respectful, responsible relationships are promoted. Public schools, the Mi'Kmaw Kina'matnewey Board and home schooled students registered with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development or enrolled in private school could make nominations.

The individual recipients for 2015 are:
-- Hailey Thomas, Prince Andrew High, Dartmouth
-- Hailey Handspiker-Wade, Digby Regional High School, Digby Co.
-- Brynn Lowe, Port Maitland Consolidated Elementary, Yarmouth Co.
-- Andrew Son, Halifax Grammar School, Halifax
-- Nykola Killam, Liverpool Regional High School, Liverpool
-- Shawnee Paul, Allison Bernard Memorial High School, Eskasoni 
-- Katie LeBlanc-Boudreau, Ecole Beau-Port, Richmond Co.
-- Mary Clarissa MacLean, Cobequid Educational Centre, Colchester Co. 
-- Matthew Bond, Sydney Mines Junior High, Cape Breton Regional Municipality
-- MacKenzie Cook, Guysborough Academy, Guysborough Co. 
-- Meghan Hale, Horton High School, Kentville

The team recipients for 2015 are:
-- Megan MacDonald, Genevieve MacDonald, Olivia Colaiacovo, Lauren Regan, Sara James, Megan Rennie and Maria Sotiropoulos, the members of the Drops of Hope Destination Imagination Team, Halifax Regional School Board 
-- Adam MacLean and Joella MacIsaac, members of Keep the Promise, Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board
-- Emmalee Harvey and Natalie Baker, for organizing Kindness Day, South Shore Regional School Board
-- Kyle Landry, Breah Sampson-MacDonald, Brianna MacDonald, Stephanie Grimard, Morgan Bona, Jordan Delaney and Hayley Thompson, members of the RCMP–SAERC Youth Council, Strait Regional School Board
-- Monique Silver & Micaela Murphy, member of Best Friends for Lunch, Annapolis Valley Regional School Board

Recipients were selected by an advisory committee of representatives from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Nova Scotia Teachers Union, Nova Scotia School Board Association, Nova Scotia Federation of Home and School Associations and La Fédération des parents acadiens de la Nouvelle-Écosse.

For more information about the recipients visit antibullying.novascotia.ca/ns-lieutenant-governors-respectful-citizenship-award.

Photos from the ceremony are available from flickr.com/photos/lieutenantgovernor/with/16445750447/

Media Contact: Meghan Doherty
              902-424-0763
              Cell: 902-478-9209
              Email: Meghan.Doherty@novascotia.ca