Giovanna Boyle, 13, of Montclair has been named one of New Jersey's top two youth volunteers for 2012 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.

The other youth volunteer was Stephanie Jennis, 16, of Montville.

Boyle was nominated by her school, Glenfield Middle School. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 17th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Boyle, an 8th grader at Glenfield Middle School, worked with her mother and two other adults to create a charitable organization that connects privileged young people in her town with poor kids in Brazil. After traveling with her mother to Brazil in 2004, Boyle wanted to do something to improve the lives of the children she had met in two fishing villages.

“I made friends with some of the Brazilians and thought how great it would be if all my friends in Montclair could be friends with them, too,” she said. Since it would be difficult for them to actually meet, Boyle proposed setting up pen-pal relationships to exchange letters, drawings and photos.

She and her mother registered 25 children in each village and paired them with 50 kids in Montclair. Over the past seven years, the pen-pals have formed deep friendships and gained an understanding of a different way of life, Boyle said.

Some of the U.S. students have also contributed financially to their pen-pals’ educations. Boyle travels to Brazil every summer to teach the village children songs, games, dances, arts and crafts and English. At home in Montclair, she raises money for her charity, translates letters, and leads pen-pal workshops.

“It’s important that those with abundance share with those who have very little,” said Boyle. “If kids can do this globally, forming friendships and alliances, understanding and loving rather than fearing, we stand a much better chance of world peace.”

As State Honorees, both youth volunteers each will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C., where they will join the top two honorees from each of the other states and the District of Columbia for several days of national recognition events. Ten of them will be named America’s top youth volunteers for 2012 at that time.

Congratulations Giovanna Boyle!