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Young Heroes nominations

Teachers, families and mentors are invited to nominate a special child or teenager for the National Liberty Museum's TD Bank Young Heroes Award. The annual award program salutes young people who have worked for positive change in their schools and communities.

The "icons of the future" will be honored at an awards ceremony at the National Liberty Museum, and will be spotlighted in a TD Bank Young Heroes Exhibit 2011 at the museum in Center City.

Nomination forms are available at www.libertymuseum.org, or by calling Nick Ospa, 215-925-2800, ext. 140, and at the National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut St.

Zumba class eyes mark

As part of the 36th Annual Odunde Festival, a four-day African and African-American cultural event, organizers will host a free, one-hour Zumba fitness class, hoping to break the Guinness world record with more than 1,500 expected participants.

On-site registration begins at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Class begins at 10 at Finnesey Field on the Saint Joseph's University campus. Local dance and Zumba instructor Jena Renee Rogers of PUSH (Push Until Success Happens) will teach dance moves and steps. Those interested may preregister at www.odundefestival.

org or by calling 888-765-9569.

Visitation parish 'matters'

Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Kensington has qualified as a finalist in the "This Place Matters" competition sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. One of 100 finalists, Visitation is competing for online votes to win a grant of $25,000 to support the work that the church, its adjoining school and its community center do in the community. The monthlong voting period ends June 30. For information or to vote, visit www.preservationnation.org.

New Youth Protection chief

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has announced the hiring of Leslie J. Davila as director of the Office for Child and Youth Protection.

Since 1999, Davila has been assistant director of victim services and a victim-assistance coordinator in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.

As director of the Office for Child and Youth Protection, Davila will oversee archdiocesan efforts to protect young people and the efforts toward healing and reconciliation for those sexually abused as minors.

Christie's Rx for schools

Gov. Chris Christie added an element yesterday to his efforts to give children in the lowest-performing school districts a better education while keeping the costs to taxpayers down.

He proposed letting local school boards hand control of some "transformation schools" to education-management organizations, possibly including for-profit firms.

The proposal is one of several ideas Christie is pushing to expand options for students in troubled school districts.

- Staff and wire reports