Waltham youth organization honors Dean Jamele Adams with award for community leadership

Dean of Students Jamele Adams received a Community Leadership Award from the Waltham Youth and Community Coalition, a project of the Waltham Partnership for Youth, on June 7.

Adams was nominated by Luke Kirkland, a teen specialist at the Waltham Public Library. In his nomination, Kirkland said that Adams’ support of activities at Waltham High School and the Waltham Public Library are making a difference with the young people of Waltham.

“Jamele has been an unbelievably powerful inspiration to Waltham youth and those who work with Waltham youth. He is a magnetic presence, someone who speaks to the experiences of youth of color and inspires their agency, but who also fuels the fire of youth of all backgrounds,” Kirkland said. “He is an invaluable model for us adult mentors who hope to similarly nurture our youths’ potential…he is an irreplaceable engineer and collaborator in our citywide efforts to build an inclusive community.”

The awards were given to individuals for having the courage to address challenging issues that affect youth; for showing leadership in health and wellness, substance use prevention and treatment; and racial, ethnic and gender equity and justice.

The Waltham Youth and Community Coalition’s mission is to support a culture of mental health and wellness, free of substance misuse, for Waltham youth by connecting all sectors of the community, addressing root causes, and promoting advocacy, education and policy change.