AUGUSTA — Laurianne Murphy, 13, of Lewiston, was recently named one of Maine’s top two youth volunteers for 2010 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.

Murphy was nominated by the Auburn-Lewiston YMCA in Auburn. She will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C., where they will join the top two honorees from each of the other states and the District of Columbia for several days of national recognition events. Ten of them will be named America’s top youth volunteers for 2010 at that time.

An eighth-grader at Lewiston Middle School, she spent most of her free time last summer helping to take care of babies and toddlers in the child care center of her local YMCA. Murphy, whose mother works at the YMCA, has spent a great deal of time there while growing up, and in recent years, has particularly enjoyed watching child care providers do their jobs.

“I love children and want to be a kindergarten teacher when I graduate from college,” she said. After completing a YMCA babysitting course and becoming certified as a babysitter, she began visiting the child care center regularly and helping out wherever she could.
Before long, she was doing almost everything the adult caregivers were doing.

She rocked and played with the babies, cleaned them up after their snacks and put them down for naps. For the toddlers, she helped at mealtime, read stories, assisted with art projects and did her best to make sure they were happy and having fun.

“I think that my being there made a difference in the children’s lives,” she said. “I learned how important it is to be a positive role model for them at such a young age.” Murphy hopes to continue volunteering at the child care center whenever her school is not in session.

The awards program, now in its 15th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals.