Commissioner Bert Bivins III Leadership Award
The prestigious Macon-Bibb County GCAPS (Georgia Civic Awareness Program for Students) Youth Commission Commissioner Bert Bivins Leadership Award is given to a student who has excelled throughout the program year modeling leadership, positive behaviors, and notable community service. This year’s award winner is:
Bhavin Patel, Youth Commissioner
A Junior at Stratford Academy where he is the Key Club Executive Officer. Additionally, he volunteers at the Make-end Fair, Powers Law Group, Goodwill, Macon Little Theatre, and The Fuller Center for Housing. He leads the Georgia Secretary of State Student Ambassador Program at his school and is a Key Club International District Lieutenant Governor. Additionally, he received the Jefferson Award which is the nation’s longest standing and most prestigious award given for dedication to public service. Jefferson Awards are given to local unsung heroes along with national figures such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Tom Brokaw and Oprah Winfrey.
Patel believes, “Civic education is highly important for today’s youth because it teaches teenagers like me to be actively involved in our government, not just locally, but internationally. If youth develop skills and values from civic education, they are most likely to be well trained and apprehensive about our government when they are older.” Bhavin is a first-year member of the Macon-Bibb County GCAPS Youth Commission.
Bahvin joins previous “Commissioner Bert Bivins Leadership” Award Recipients
- 2016-2017 Grant Alexander and Veronica Zambrano (both seniors at Howard and Rutland High School respectively)
- 2014-2015 Sherod Hollingshed (now attending Georgia Southern University, Rutland High School Graduate)
- 2015-2016 Sharrieff Muhammad (now attending Middle Georgia State University, Georgia Cyber Academy Graduate)
About the Macon-Bibb County Youth Commission
The Macon-Bibb County Youth Commission is a locally administered cohort of the Georgia Civic Awareness Program for Students (GCAPS) developed by the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) staff and county officials to address the need for increased civic involvement and awareness among our state’s youth. The Bibb County Board of Commissioners established its program in 2012 with a $3,750 grant from ACCG. The 2014-2015 cohort was the first under the newly consolidated Macon-Bibb County government. We look forward to even more progress with the 2017-2018 cohort. To date, over 100 students have participated in the program. Youth gain knowledge about their local governments through hands-on learning experiences and witness firsthand the decision making process. The objective of GCAPS is simple: to educate young citizens about the importance of being actively conscious of their local government environment and the opportunities available in the public sector. GCAPS provides civic education by exposing high school students to the role that local government plays and by introducing them to the leaders who make local governments work. As a result of GCAPS, youth become engaged in their communities and become better informed citizens, they also learn valuable leadership skills and have the opportunity to create and implement civic awareness projects.