YOUNGSTOWN — Thirty-two high school senior girls from around the Mahoning Valley will attend the YWCA Young Women With Bright Futures awards banquet scheduled for May 20.

The 6 p.m. event at the YWCA, 25 W. Rayen Ave. in Youngstown, is the return of the live banquet after a year of virtual gatherings.

The YWCA Young Women With Bright Futures Awards Program was established in 1994 and has been held each year since. It provides young women who are high school seniors a chance for recognition of their skills and service in their communities.

“We were able to have all of the Leadership Sessions in person in 2020 before the pandemic hit,” said YWCA spokesperson Jessica Gibbs. “Once the pandemic hit, we made the difficult decision to cancel the in-person awards event and held it virtually instead. For 2021, we have hosted all the leadership sessions virtually.”

Gibbs said the in-person event will be a welcome return for the girls. They will be able to gather as a group, and two will be selected for a scholarship.

A grant was received from the Thomases Family Endowment of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation to provide scholarship awards to two senior students for $3,000 and $2,000 per year for up to four years of college toward their bachelor’s degree. The total award amount per student is $12,000 and $8,000 over four years of college.

The scholarships are limited to honorees pursuing colleges with main campuses in Northeastern Ohio and Northwestern Pennsylvania.

Also included in the program are three leadership sessions and a community service project. The sessions, held virtually this year, were Feb. 13 and 27 and March 6.

Girls selected for the program come from every school district in Mahoning and Trumbull County.

“The girls are selected by their school administration and teachers,” Gibbs said. “They are chosen for their academic excellence, leadership qualities, creativity and community service. We approach all schools in Mahoning and Trumbull County and encourage participation from them. This year, we have 32 honorees.”

While only two will receive the scholarships, the remaining 30 will have the honor of being selected to represent their school. That fact alone carries honor and prestige, and a positive mark that can be used on resumes.

The girls also learn a lot from the leadership sessions.

“Each leadership session has a different area of focus,” Gibbs said. “Communication techniques, the art of story telling, and leadership are some of the topics that were featured for leadership sessions. YWCA also hosted a session on racial justice education.”