The 23 recipients of the 2019 Student Peace Awards were honored at a reception on March 10 at the Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax.

In addition to parents and friends, the audience included several distinguised guests from the Fairfax County School Board and the Board of Supervisors, as well as Ken Plum from the Virginia House of Delegates, and Gerald Connolly from the US House of Representatives.  Senator Tim Kaine wrote each of the students a personal letter of congratulations and Representative Connolly introduced a House resolution into the Congressional Record honoring them. The guest speaker was David Swanson, author, activist, journalist, radio host, and director of World BEYOND War, a global movement to end war and establish a just and sustainable peace.

The recipients were chosen by their school, based on the student's contributions to promote peace and to help remmove the causes of violence, such as poverty, discrimination, and injustice.