‘I’m not at all done’: Franklin County teens recognized with 26th annual Peacemakers Awards

GREENFIELD — In an often divisive world, a handful of Franklin County teenagers were honored for their work promoting peace and justice, and they promise they’re not done yet.

The Interfaith Council of Franklin County and the Traprock Center for Peace & Justice held the 26th annual Peacemaker Awards on Tuesday evening at All Souls Church to recognize the work of 10 individual teenagers and members of Deerfield Academy’s HerStory Club for their activism and support of well-being, non-violence and justice in the community.

The Rev. Leslie Fraser with the Interfaith Council of Franklin County said the awards were created in 2000 following the Columbine High School massacre to see how young people were responding and what they were doing to promote peace.

“We can’t change the history, but we can change the present and the future by bringing more peace here,” Fraser said.

Recipients of the 2026 Peacemaker Awards expressed gratitude for the recognition, but said awards are not why they do what they do. Their work aims to create a better future for their friends, family members and those who cannot make change for themselves.

“When I was 7 years old, I thought the world was going to end,” said Maeve Noble, a Stoneleigh-Burnham School student from Greenfield. “My parents and my sister were discussing climate change, politics and war, and to 7-year-old me, that meant everything. So naturally, as 7-year-olds do, I had an existential crisis. … When I was 15 years old, I finally decided to do something about that existential dread.”

Noble created an online program where English-speaking teens connected with immigrant teens to help them learn English and find community, which later evolved into a community hotline for positivity. By calling 326-216-4158, people can hear messages from teens talking about their dreams for the future and moments of positivity.

Four Rivers Charter Public School sophomore Kalyn Barry has worked with the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) and the Communities That Care Coalition on substance use prevention efforts, even going to Washington D.C. to lobby on the issue. She also serves as a youth advisor for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. For Barry, if her work improves life for one person, it’s worth the effort.

“I don’t do this to change the world. I felt motivated to do this by kids like me, who have so much potential, but need someone to lift them up, and by classmates of mine who are directly impacted by substance use,” Barry said. “If my work had made a difference in just a few people’s day-to-day lives, that’s why I’m doing it … and I’m not at all done.”

Like Barry, Franklin County Technical School student Silas Giguere also works with FRCOG and the Communities That Care Coalition on substance use prevention efforts. Additionally, they are involved with the Future Farmers of America, the Shelburne Grange, the Massachusetts State Grange, and Franklin Tech’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance.

In addition to individual awards, the Interfaith Council of Franklin County and the Traprock Center for Peace & Justice recognized Hazel Bird Richards and Declan Provost, who created a peer mediation program at Four Rivers, and the HerStory Club at Deerfield Academy for their women’s empowerment efforts.

“About a year ago, I really saw an opportunity in the way my school handles conflict. Conflict resolution systems and methods were passive, and students were left frustrated and upset,” Bird Richards said. “People should feel seen, heard and wanted at school, and I believe restorative justice is part of that. What we are doing may just be a small part of the shift toward restorative practices at Four Rivers, but I got some exciting news this week. We got our first request to mediate a middle schooler’s conflict.”

In the future, Bird Richards said she hopes they can train more students in peer mediation, expand the peer conflict resolution committee at Four Rivers and help other schools set up their own peer mediation programs.

Other award recipients are:

• Rory Hartblay, a Deerfield Academy student who has led voter registration campaigns, volunteered with the school’s food bank program and secured grants from the school to purchase a farm share from Conway’s Natural Roots farm to provide fresh produce for the community meals offered at the Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew.
• Charlotte “Charlie” Rolland and Daisy Rolland, both Deerfield Academy students who have worked with their local food pantry in Easthampton and their church youth group. Charlie secured a grant to purchase supplies for immigrant families, including toiletries, clothes and a triplet stroller for an expecting mother of three. Daisy secured a grant to create care packages for children of migrant families. She also plans to continue volunteering in local elementary schools.
• Jane Schofield, a Greenfield High School student who worked with Quabbin Mediation to be trained in active bystander skills, and who began training other students on what it means to be an active bystander. Schofield also works with the state Attorney General’s Office writing blog posts that explore ethical dilemmas.
• Guinevere Silva-Ryan, a Mohawk Trail Regional School student who worked with their peers to develop a social justice club. Silva-Ryan has also been involved in organizing walkouts and protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and creating safe spaces for students to share their experiences with racism.