BOSTON, MA – "I will be a Human Rights Squad Member forever." ... "Memorable, moving, emotional and full of hope for the youth of the future." ... "For the first time, saying the (Human Rights Squad) pledge was more than just words to me it was committing to a way of life."

These were just some of the comments about Project TEAMWORK's Human Rights Squad Forum on May 9, 2001 at Northeastern University. Approximately 300 people convened at NU's Blackman Auditorium for the 10th-Annual event to honor members of Project TEAMWORK's Human Rights Squads.

Human Rights Squads are teams of middle and high school students who pledge to reduce the amount of prejudice and violence in their school and community through organized team projects. HRS are coordinated teachers and advisors who aid HRS members in completing work on community and school projects. The forum celebrates those youth who held true to this pledge, and honors select individuals and schools with Human Rights Leadership Award.

The 2001 Award in the student category was presented to Archbishop Williams High Schools incredible Elizabeth Bloomer. Bloomer was honored for her astounding leadership and awareness raising on the issue of child labor atrocities, after she was inspired by the death of 12-year-old Pakistani boy, Iqbal Masih.

The Human Rights Leadership Award in the adult category honored Michael Brown and Alan Khazei, co-founders of City Year, Inc. City Year enlists more than 1,000 young adults nationwide for a year of full-time community service, civic engagement and leadership development. Eli Segal from the Welfare to Work Partnership was the special presenter.

"As we celebrate our 10th-annual forum we take the time to honor our Human Right Squad, some of which have been active since the very first year in 1991," said Susan Leitao, Director of Project TEAMWORK. "These students are dedicated to making their own schools a safe and tolerant environment to learn. Our future is in good hands with these young leaders we congratulate today."

Project TEAMWORK's Darryl Williams presented PTW's Darryl Williams Awards to deserving middle and high school Squads: West Roxbury High School (H.S. category) and Brown Middle School (M.S. category). Williams has spent his life as a motivational speaker after he was shot and paralyzed by a racially-motivated attack on the football field as a sophomore from Jamaica Plain H.S. in 1979.

The theme of this year's event was "Commitment to Service."

To encourage the HRS members to continue their service in their community, Project TEAMWORK coordinated a service fair at the conclusion of the event. All 300 participating HRS members had an opportunity to visit services booths organized in NU's Curry Student Center to learn more about how they can continue make a difference.

Fourteen services booths were on display representing:

The special guest speaker for the forum was non-other-than Sport in Society's Founder and Director, Richard E. Lapchick. Always memorable and highly-motivational, Dr. Lapchick told a personal story from the heart that inspired the audience to embrace Project TEAMWORK's creed of under-standing, tolerance and conflict resolution.

The forum also featured a special guest speech by Coach David Leitao, the Associate Men's Basketball Coach at the University of Connecticut. David Leitao is the brother of Project TEAMWORK's director Susan Leitao, who herself was a professional basketball player in Nice, France.

Entertainment included the foot-stomping Ayer High SSchool Step Dancers and the always electrifying Woonsocket High School Dancers, who capped the show with their hip-hop routine.