An award recognizing kindness, respect, and compassion in our children
What is this award?
The Jennifer Beth Turken Heart Award is a program established by Dana and Bob Turken as a tribute to their daughter, Jennifer Beth Turken, who passed away from a virulent brain tumor when she was eight years old. In her short life, Jennifer touched the hearts and souls of all who knew her through her kindness, sensitivity, and respect for others. In 2008, Dana and Bob started the program at North Beach Elementary School, which Jennifer attended, in an effort to teach and promote kindness, compassion, and empathy to students, teachers, staff, and families.
With the love and support of Jennifer’s sister, Danny, her brother, Sam, and Dana’s late mother Claire, affectionately known as “Grandma” to all, The Jennifer Beth Turken Heart Award has expanded to multiple schools throughout Miami-Dade County. In addition to previously working with Treasure Island Elementary and North County K-8 Center, The JBT Heart Award is currently partnering with five additional schools including Fienberg-Fisher Elementary School, Biscayne Beach Elementary School, Fulford Elementary School, Greynolds Park Elementary School, and Gertrude K. Edelman/Sabal Palm Elementary School. The program is formally recognized by the Miami-Dade County School Board and supported by the cities of Miami Beach, North Miami Beach, and Miami-Dade County.
Each month, teachers, classmates, school administrators, and staff nominate children throughout each grade for their acts of kindness. The nominations are not based on academics, attendance, friendship, or athletics, but rather, the nominees are chosen for demonstrating kindness, respect, and sensitivity to their classmates.
The Jennifer Beth Turken Heart Award Committee, then, selects one student from each grade who has displayed a great act of kindness as the grade winner. Every month, each school’s nominees, winners, and the winners’ classes are celebrated with a monthly ice cream party—including various flavors, sprinkles, whipped cream, and Oreo cookie toppings—catered by the Turken Family from The Ice Cream Factory. The monthly winners and nominees not only receive certificates highlighting their acts of kindness, but their acts are shared and applauded among their peers, faculty, and staff. Additionally, each school integrates the students’ individual acts of kindness into a larger conversation about the global importance of kindness, compassion, sensitivity, and empathy. The schools’ principals, counselors, and Turken Family illustrate the importance of caring for one another through read-alouds and interactive engagement.
In May, every school selects one student from each grade who has displayed the greatest act of kindness. The Turken family surprises the winners and their families and awards all of the winners with a new bicycle, helmet, and lock from Mack Cycle and Fitness, chosen specifically for them. The winners also have their names engraved on a plaque that is hung permanently at their school. As part of the celebration, each school creates a kindness-themed assembly, honoring all of their nominees and winners with student singing, dancing, slideshows, and spectacle. The winners are announced before their classes, teachers, families, and communities, and their acts of kindness are shared and extolled before the entire audience. Elected officials, dignitaries from the communities, and school board members also attend the ceremonies to celebrate the acts of kindness demonstrated by the winners. After the ceremonies, the winners and their families are invited to a luncheon at the schools with their teachers, school administrators, and special guests.
The goal of the Turken family is that The Jennifer Beth Turken Heart Award will encourage students to recognize the importance of kindness and develop into caring, compassionate, and empathetic people.
About Jennifer
Jennifer Beth Turken was an exceptionally special little girl who brought a smile and a sense of wonder to everyone she met. When Jennifer was five years old, she was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma Brain Tumor. Although she was initially given six months to live, Jennifer exceeded all expectations and fought for three and a half years. Even as her health declined and the effects of her treatments took a toll on her body, Jennifer always believed in the importance of treating others with sensitivity, kindness, and respect–even if she didn’t receive the same treatment in return. As opposed to allowing it to affect her, Jennifer held her head up high, remained composed, and determined not to allow others to make her feel less than. Although Jennifer lost her battle and passed away when she was only eight years old, it is in honor of Jennifer and the lessons she embodied, the lives she changed, and the kindness she shared with the world that the Turken family founded the Jennifer Beth Turken Heart Award.