Bold Steps for Children &
Changemakers for Children Awards
2026 Recipients will be honored at the Annual Children’s Summit on Friday, April 17, at Villa Ragusa in Campbell.
Award Winners
Each year Kids in Common recognizes individuals or organizations that have worked collectively to achieve measurable improvements for children, youth and families.
Bold Steps for Children Award
This award honors an individual or organization that has demonstrated measurable, positive impact on the lives of children in Santa Clara County through strong, effective collaboration with community partners.
Changemaker for Children Award
This award recognizes an individual or organization whose lifetime contributions have resulted in significant, measurable, and lasting positive change for children in Santa Clara County.
Children Awards - History
2024 Bold Steps for Children Award – Celebrating School Wellness Centers
2024 Changemakers for Children Award - Supervisor Cindy Chavez
2023 Bold Steps for Children Award – Youth Liberation Movement
2023 Changemakers for Children Award - Elise Cutini, Kathleen King, Laura Garnett, Reymundo Espinoza, Sparky Harlan and posthumously, Julie Cates.
2022 - Juvenile Justice Gender Responsive Task Force - Taking a Stand: Ending the Incarceration of Girls and Gender-Expansive Youth
2019 – Judge Patrick Tondreau – Leadership in Better Results for Youth in the Justice System
2018 – SCC Board of Supervisors - for steps taken to organize and fund support for our community’s immigrant children and families
2017 – Californians for Justice – youth organized to demand that the State Dept. of Education include social/emotional and school climate measures in the state dashboard for schools.
2016 – Partners Promoting Universal Developmental Screening - FIRST 5, Gardner, SCC Behavioral Health, SCCOE, SCC HHS, Sup. Ken Yeager
2015 – Juvenile Justice Systems Partners
2014 – Family Engagement Leaders – CommUniverCity, Franklin McKinley Children’s Initiative, Grail Family Services
2013 – Yerba Buena High School - for reducing school suspensions
2012 – YMCA/Project Cornerstone
2011 – Adobe Youth Voices
2010 – Bob Kirkwood & Partners Developing Alternatives to Foster Care
2009 – Applied Materials - for investing strategy that helped to improve school outcomes and worked with schools and PACT and others to focus investments on key levers for change
2008 – The Children’s Health Initiative – Collaborative that made it possible for all children in SCC to have health insurance (leading the state)