Vittoriosa local council has congratulated one of its councillors, Melvin Attard, on being named the Youth of the Year 2006.

Mr Attard was presented with this national award at a ceremony on Saturday, 16 December in Gozo, under the patronage of Gozo Bishop Mario Grech.

The Youth of the Year 2006 award was organised by the OASI Foundation together with the Gozo Ministry, the Family and Social Solidarity Ministry, the Education, Youth and Employment Ministry and the National Youth Council.

Mr Attard was nominated for the award by Vittoriosa mayor John Boxall. The nomination was seconded by deputy mayor Christopher Cassar and approved unanimously.

The nomination was prompted by the voluntary work that Mr Attard carries out on a regular basis. In 2004, he launched a project under the name LUMEN – an educational project aimed at children and young people in the six to sixteen age bracket.

The main emphasis of this project was on teaching with a difference. More specifically, the teaching method used is not the traditional formal education to be found in regular school classrooms. Indeed, the focus is on learning through fun activities, such as educational games, treasure hunts and hikes.

The main philosophy behind this project is that, from a very young age, children will perceive learning and education as a pleasure rather than something boring.

Moreover, another dimension of this project is the concept of inclusion in practice. Among the various volunteers who willingly participate in this project as teachers, Mr Attard trained two youngsters who suffer from Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Nowadays, these two youngsters are regular and extremely active teachers in this project. Mr Attard was able to highlight the potential of these youngsters, empower them and give them the opportunity to experience the other side of the classroom.

Mr Attard said that this project is proof that, despite their difficulties, people who are referred to by society as having a disability can, if given the opportunity, be of great benefit to society.

Vittoriosa local council and all its residents are very proud that someone from their city has received this national acknowledgement. Congratulating Mr Attard once again for receiving this honour, the council encouraged him to continue his voluntary work.

The council also expressed the wish that other local councils initiate similar projects so that everyone will work towards a more educated and inclusive society.