Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Wednesday, September 21, 2011

A junior at Lafayette High School has received an Everyday Young Hero Award from Youth Service America, which honors extraordinary contributions and commitments to service.

Virginia Newsome, a drama major in Lafayette's School for the Creative and Performing Arts, founded the nonprofit heARTS to bolster other schools' arts programs through business donations, community volunteers and local artists.

Virginia got the idea while attending the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Conference this summer in Chicago.

For more information, visit www.Hearts4arts.org.