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The Greensboro nonprofit Win-Win Resolutions recognized six local students with the seventh annual Youth Peacemaker Award during a banquet Monday.

The recipients were nominated by their principals, teachers, counselors and other community leaders for carrying out peacemaking activities and providing positive leadership within their Guilford County middle schools and communities.

Created in 2002 by Win-Win Resolutions, the award is designed to recognize and celebrate youths whose words and actions reflect a consistent effort to create peaceful solutions and promote understanding and acceptance of differences among individuals, groups and cultures.

The winners of 2008-09 Young Peacemaker Award are: sixth-grader Evan Shanks, Southwest Guilford Middle; seventh-grader Emily Franks-North, Kiser Middle; and eighth-graders Michael Blische and Alasha Coleman, Jackson Middle; Alex Hasler, Northern Middle; and Kristen Whitworth, Southeast Middle.

Evan is the son of Vernon and Cheryl Shanks and an A Honor Roll student.

Evan, nominated by teacher Melissa Cowie , helped create a video illustrating the correct PATH to follow at school that was shown to all Southwest students. PATH is an acronym for practice honesty, act responsibly, treat others with respect and have self-discipline. Cowie said Evan actively demonstrated all of these characteristics.

“Evan has befriended children that others have teased, demonstrating the importance of tolerating others who may think differently or do things differently, is quick to share, has friends of many ethnicities and was selected to conduct a question- and-answer session with rising sixth-graders about the transition to middle school,” Cowie said. “Evan is one of the most caring students I have taught — a wonderful young man and a role model for all.”

Emily is the daughter of Rodney North and Alice Franks . Nominated by drama teacher Tara Chappell , Emily served meals to the less fortunate in Greensboro, organizes canned food drives for the Urban Ministry and volunteers during the summer at the Greensboro Children’s Museum . She actively shares her concern for the environment and often walks with her family to their destinations.

Chappell said Emily is admired and respected by her peers for helping keep peace and promoting respect for all.

“Emily is a natural, positive, motivating leader,” Chappell said. “She is very responsible and holds herself and others to a very high standard.”

Michael, the son of Michael and Anna Blische, and Alasha Coleman, the daughter of Antoinette Wylie, were nominated by school social worker Keith Pemberton.

Both participated in the High Point Student Human Relations Day , helped raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Muscular Dystrophy Association and collected books for the Ghana Street Children Literacy Project .

Michael was chosen as student of the month by the Summit Rotary Club and Youth First. He was secretary of the Jackson Middle School SAVE Club and helped collect canned goods for the Salvation Army. He was accepted to the Andrews Aviation Academy and enjoys baseball, basketball and band.

Alasha received a student achievement award from Guilford County Safe and Drug Free Schools and was president of the Jackson SAVE club. She enjoys soccer and softball and served as the school’s wrestling manager.

“Alasha has been a strong support for her mother, who has been in and out of the hospital,” Pemberton said. “She understands the importance of assisting others.”

Alex Hasler , the son of Anton and Donna Hasler, was nominated by teacher Wendy Weeks . Alex volunteered his time with special-needs students and served as a tutor.

“Not only did he make them feel welcome at our school, but he worked to make them an important part of our school,” Weeks said. “He was punctual, committed, honest and loyal even though his plate was very full with his own activities — soccer, drum line and marching band to name a few.”

Weeks said she never saw Alex visibly angry, and that in situations that needed resolving, he always kept a cool head and often used his sense of humor.

“Alex is an incredible young man, caring to all students,” Weeks said. “He sets high standards for the rest of his peers at Northern.”

Kristen is the daughter of Tim and Mary Ellen Whitworth. Nominated by school counselor Rhonda Allison , Kristen was an advisory board member of her school’s Students Against Violence Everywhere committee and Student Mentoring Awareness Resource Team . She helped organize a cultural fair and served as a Falcon Buddy, chosen as buddy to new students.

Kristen also participated in a joint field trip to Washington with the SAVE and SMART clubs, as well as the Student Council and a SAVE group from another school.

Kristen reached out to the other students, Allison said.

“There were a couple of students from the other school that were noticeably struggling and not fitting in very well, and it was Kristen who stepped up and took them under her wing, making sure they were included, making sure they fit in, making sure they were with the group and warding off what could have been an awkward situation and a severe case of homesickness,” Allison said. “It was then I knew she really had taken in and internalized the training and objectives of the year, and she could truly stand on her own.”

Win-Win provides conflict-resolution workshops for grades Pre-K through 12, middle and high school peer mediation programs, parent/teacher and family conflict resolution training, team-building and diversity workshops.

Contact Jennifer Atkins Brown at 574-5582 or jennifer. brown@news-record.com.