The Governor of Chiang Mai presided over the 2026 National Youth Day event in Chiang Mai and presented the “Darunathorn Foundation” with the “Beneficial Organization” award.
Darunathorn Foundation received an honorary award on National Youth Day 2026 in the category “Beneficial Organization for Children and Youth in Chiang Mai Province 2026” under Social Development and Promotion of Child and Youth Participation. This was in recognition of their work focused on creating opportunities, developing potential, and providing spaces for children and youth to actively engage in driving social progress.
The award was organized by the Chiang Mai Child and Family Shelter in collaboration with the Chiang Mai Child and Youth Council, the Chiang Mai Social Development and Human Security Office, and the Chiang Mai Outstanding Youth Club. It honors organizations, individuals, and youth with outstanding achievements and contributions to society. Mr. Ratthaphon Naradisorn, Governor of Chiang Mai, chaired the 2026 National Youth Day event under the theme “41 Years of National Youth Day: United Strength, Joint Development, and Pursuit of Peace” on 13 September 2026 at Yupparaj Wittayalai School, Chiang Mai.
The event featured exhibitions of creative works and awarded outstanding children and youth, contributors, and organizations playing key roles in promoting and developing children and youth. It highlighted the power of the new generation as part of building a better society.
Mr. Harry Watityakul, Director of the Darunathorn Foundation, said the award serves as important encouragement and reflects the vision, ideals, and dedication of all sectors driving the mission, including foundation staff, Koomit Church, network partners, parents, and participating children and youth.
“We do not merely organize activities; we work to create opportunities, hope, and positive change in the lives of children and youth,” said Mr. Harry. He emphasized that all projects prioritize youth participation and child rights principles to enable children and youth to express opinions, access information, form groups, engage in social activities, and develop their full potential in a safe and supportive environment. Darunathorn Foundation continuously develops child and youth projects focusing on the process of “learning–participating–doing–sharing–leading,” linking work with communities and networks on various issues.
One key initiative is the Youth and Creation Care Campaign, launched in 2022 to promote youth roles in environmental issues such as forest conservation, waste management, food and water security, natural farming, increasing green spaces, as well as upcycling and recycling. Over 1,400 youths and mentors from 72 communities across 9 provinces participated, producing 151 youth leaders. They managed 674 rai of agricultural and green areas, with 507 youths planting trees on their own land.
Regarding communications, the foundation runs the Creative Media project, providing youths from 14 churches the opportunity to develop creative media production skills and present environmental issues through videos, transforming them from “message receivers” to “creators and communicators.” Meanwhile, the Youth Against Trafficking project focuses on raising awareness about human trafficking, sexual exploitation, child rights, and self-protection, encouraging youth to share knowledge within families, schools, and communities.
Another significant project is P2J in Action, launched in 2025 in partnership with Mahidol University to develop youth leaders who are “good, capable, and brave” through learning social issues, project design, and hands-on implementation. Currently, 28 projects are driven by youth leaders in 28 communities, with 134 youth leaders and 44 mentors involved. The initiative has expanded to include youths, parents, and community members totaling 5,482 people. Notably, the first generation of youth participants have returned as team members and mentors for the next generation, demonstrating growth from “participants” to “leaders and mentors.”
Building on these achievements, Darunathorn Foundation aims to continue the concept of “developing youth so that youth can develop society” by creating spaces for children and youth to learn and actively engage in environmental protection, child protection, anti-human trafficking, and social problem-solving. The foundation also connects networks to extend impact from youth to families, communities, and society at large.
This honorary award not only marks the success of Darunathorn Foundation but also encourages all sectors to jointly create “opportunity spaces” for children and youth to grow into a vital force in sustainably creating and developing society.