CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ Launches Campus Tour To Help Students Discover Unconscious Bias and Advance Inclusion

NEW YORK, October 18, 2017 – Today, CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion within the workplace in the U.S., announced the “Check Your Blind Spots” college campus tour. Beginning with Villanova University on October 17, the first leg of the tour will visit college campuses throughout October to help raise students’ awareness of unconscious biases and empower them to take part in diversity and inclusion conversations both in their communities and with their future employers.

The “Check Your Blind Spots” campus tour will focus on bringing students, as future leaders and workers, an interactive and engaging experience about diversity and inclusion. A mobile vehicle will travel to each participating campus and students will be invited to participate in multi-media experiences focused on the issue of blind spots– including watching a video that will introduce them to the nuances of unconscious bias and taking an implicit association test that will help them identify their own potential biases. Students will also be presented with educational content including a list of what common blind spots are and actions they can take to help address them.

Having grown up more aware of diversity issues than previous generations, college students might not think they have blind spots. CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ seeks to engage students in productive dialogue around unconscious bias, and inspire them to take what they learn into their daily lives – whether it is at school, at home, at an internship or in their future workplace. Research has found 92 percent of Gen Zers (currently college freshmen and sophomores) care about social issues and are concerned for the future – and more than three fourths think companies should support important social issues.

“We’re proud to be working with some of our signatory colleges and universities to bring the “Check Your Blind Spots” program to young people across the country,” said Tim Ryan, U.S. Chairman and Senior Partner of PwC and chair of the steering committee for the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™. “As CEOs of major companies, we’ve seen how valuable this coalition has been in helping our employees make better and more inclusive decisions. We believe that as tomorrow’s workforce, today’s students must leave school with the right set of skills for the job. This not only includes technical skills, but also the ability to be inclusive, and to support and encourage diverse perspectives and contributions.”

CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ is bringing students into a conversation they are passionate and vocal about, at a time when they are making important decisions about their career paths. Through the “Check Your Blind Spots” interactive experience, students will also have the opportunity to learn about the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ pledge and which companies, colleges and universities are committed to affecting change.

“At Villanova, we place a high value on building community among our members,” said University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD. “Community begins by reaching out to others, engaging in difficult dialogue, embracing differences and challenging preconceptions. Signing this pledge reaffirms our commitment to diversity and inclusion in all areas at Villanova.”

The first leg of the “Check Your Blind Spots” campus tour will visit the following signatory schools:

● Oct. 17th | Villanova University | Villanova, Pennsylvania
● Oct. 19th | Bentley University | Waltham, Massachusetts
● Oct. 23rd | Miami University | Oxford, Ohio
● Oct. 25th | Binghamton University | Binghamton, New York
● Oct. 27th | Pennsylvania State University | State College, Pennsylvania

To learn more about the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ or if you are interested in making your college or university a stop in the tour, contact info@CEOAction.com.

About CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™
CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ is the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace. Bringing together more than 300 CEOs of America’s leading organizations and universities, the commitment outlines actions that signatories pledge to take to cultivate a workplace and culture where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected, employees feel comfortable and encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion, and where best known—and unsuccessful—actions can be shared across organizations. Learn more at CEOAction.com and connect with us on Facebook: CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion and Twitter: @CEOAction.

The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ is led by a steering committee of CEOs and leaders from Accenture, BCG, Deloitte US, The Executive Leadership Council, EY, General Atlantic, KPMG, New York Life, Procter & Gamble, and PwC. The coalition represents nearly 70 industries, all 50 US States, and millions of employees globally.

Media Contact
Idalia Hill
Idalia.Hill@pwc.com
571-888-6927

Venmo adds mobile web checkout capabilities, purchase protection, and instant transfer to bank account; launches national brand campaign

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Oct. 18, 2017 –Starting this week, Venmo customers can shop on their mobile phone and make purchases at more than two million U.S. retailers via the mobile web. Venmo customers can now more easily split online purchases among friends and share payments on the Venmo feed, making it easier than ever to celebrate group experiences and remove the awkwardness that comes with cash or checks.

Just in time for the holiday season, Venmo customers can shop at millions of merchants that accept PayPal – such as Lululemon, Forever 21, and Foot Locker – using their Venmo balance or linked credit card, debit card, or bank account. At launch, Venmo customers will receive a notification in their Venmo app inviting them shop. Eligible purchases made with Venmo qualify for purchase protection, which may provide a full refund if customers don’t receive an item or it’s significantly different than the description.

“Offering a way to pay at millions of retailers is a major step in the evolution of Venmo,” said Bill Ready, Chief Operating Officer of PayPal. “Our vision for Venmo is to not only be the go-to app for payments between friends, but also a ubiquitous digital wallet that helps consumers spend wherever and however they want to pay, regardless of device. Through 2017 and beyond, we will continue to evolve the payments experience that has helped make Venmo a cultural staple, while also applying that same magic to split, share and pay in new ways.”

To celebrate Venmo’s place in today’s culture, Venmo revealed this week a new brand campaign, dubbed “_______ Me,” which celebrates Venmo’s status as a household name and reminds everyone that payments can be fun. “_______ Me” takes an irreverent approach to everyday moments in which people use Venmo. The multi-platform campaign, which runs through the end of the year, includes digital, experiential, and outdoor advertising. The new campaign was created in partnership with Zambezi and Noble People.

In addition, to provide more options to easily manage and move money, Venmo customers will soon be able to instantly transfer money from Venmo to their bank accounts via eligible debit cards, providing access to funds faster than ever before for just $0.25 per transfer. Funds will typically be available in a customer’s bank account in a matter of seconds, although some banks may take up to 30 minutes. The new option will be available to all Venmo users over the coming months. Funds in a customer’s balance are immediately available to use when shopping with Venmo, and as always, there is no charge to transfer funds directly to a customer’s bank account through the original bank transfer functionality.

Businesses can now offer Venmo as a mobile payment option through the PayPal and Braintree platforms. To learn more, visit www.venmo.com/business.

About Venmo
Venmo, a service of PayPal, Inc., is a leading mobile app in the U.S. used to move money between friends and family and pay at select businesses. Venmo makes payment a fun, social experience that eliminates the awkwardness that comes with cash or checks. For more information, visit https://www.venmo.com.

About PayPal
Fueled by a fundamental belief that having access to financial services creates opportunity, PayPal (Nasdaq: PYPL) is committed to democratizing financial services and empowering people and businesses to join and thrive in the global economy. Our open digital payments platform gives PayPal’s 210 million active account holders the confidence to connect and transact in new and powerful ways, whether they are online, on a mobile device, in an app, or in person. Through a combination of technological innovation and strategic partnerships, PayPal creates better ways to manage and move money, and offers choice and flexibility when sending payments, paying or getting paid. Available in more than 200 markets around the world, the PayPal platform, including Braintree, Venmo and Xoom, enables consumers and merchants to receive money in more than 100 currencies, withdraw funds in 56 currencies and hold balances in their PayPal accounts in 25 currencies. For more information on PayPal, visit https://www.paypal.com/about. For PayPal financial information, visit https://investor.paypal-corp.com.

Contacts
Josh Criscoe, Venmo Communications
josh@venmo.com

Students can now enjoy Prime for just $5.49 a month without an annual commitment

SEATTLE, Wash. – Oct. 10, 2017 — As classes are in full swing, Amazon is introducing a new monthly payment option for Prime Student. Available to all college students enrolled in four or two year colleges in the U.S., Prime Student is just $5.49 a month, which is 50% off Prime, after a six month trial. This flexible payment option offers all the benefits of Prime to students without an annual commitment. To sign up, students can visit www.amazon.com/joinstudent.

“Our new monthly payment option lets students enjoy the best of Amazon in a more flexible and simple way,” said Ellen Kinney, Director of Prime Student, Amazon. “Whether it’s getting their favorite products with free shipping or streaming thousands of popular movies and shows, Prime student members can experience all the benefits of Prime.”

Prime is designed to make your life better every single day. Nowhere else can customers go to get thousands of movies and TV series to instantly watch, stream music, receive discounts on a vast selection of products, and get fast, free shipping all in one place, and now students can enjoy Prime for only $5.49 a month. The benefits of Prime include:

• Fast, Free Shipping: Unlimited Free Two-Day shipping on over 50 million items ranging from college essentials such as textbooks and electronics to face paint for the big game and even your favorite Halloween costumes

• Even Faster, Free Shipping: Prime Free One-Day Shipping and Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery in more than 5,000 cities, Free Same-Day and Free One-Day pickup on millions of items at campus locations, as well as Prime Now in over 30 major cities

• Prime Video: Unlimited streaming on thousands of movies and TV shows including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Grand Tour and Manchester By the Sea with Prime Video

• Twitch Prime: Discounts on most pre-release boxed games, free in-game loot, like exclusive characters, boosts, skins, and more, plus full games from indie developers. Members also receive a Twitch channel subscription every 30 days, as well as ad-free viewing, an expanded set of chat emotes and colors, and an exclusive chat badge

• Prime Music: Prime members receive ad-free access to more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations at no additional cost to their membership

• Prime Photos: Free unlimited photo storage within the Prime Photos App. Prime Student members can securely store their existing photo collections, automatically upload new photos taken and access them anytime, anywhere, at no cost.

• Prime Reading:  Unlimited access to a rotating selection of more than a thousand books, Audible narrations, magazines, comics, Kindle Singles, and more. With fiction, non-fiction, short works, and magazines right off of the newsstand, you’ll always find something interesting to read

• Deals and Exclusives: Early access to select Lightning Deals and other exclusive deals and offers available only to Prime Student members

To join, college students from four and two year colleges simply need to provide a valid .edu email address. Following a six-month trial, Prime Student is 50% off Prime – which is just $5.49 a month with no annual commitment. If college students want to save even more, they can choose to pay $49 a year for an annual Prime Student membership.

About Amazon Prime Student
Millions of members around the world enjoy the many benefits of Prime Student. Amazon Prime Student gives college students unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on more than 50 million items. Students can sign up for a six-month trial of Amazon Prime Student to access these benefits, plus unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Video and free unlimited photo storage with Prime Photos. After that it’s just $49 a year or $5.49 a month — half the price of a regular Amazon Prime membership — and includes over a million songs with Prime Music and one free pre-released book a month with Kindle First.  To learn more, visit amazon.com/joinstudent.

About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

Media Contact:
Amazon-pr@amazon.com
www.amazon.com/pr

Using the new “Pay with GasBuddy” service coupled with the GasBuddy smartphone app, college commuters can save $340 per year on gasoline, enough to purchase 1259 packs of ramen noodles a year

Free-to-join card program gives drivers 15 cents per gallon off a first purchase; and at least five cents off every subsequent fuel purchase

BOSTON – (Oct 4, 2017) – GasBuddy, the only smartphone app connecting nearly 70 million drivers with their Perfect Pit Stop, has unveiled Pay with GasBuddy, a new payment service that provides U.S. students a discount off virtually every gallon of gas they purchase.

As the price for college continues to go up year over year, so has the number of college commuters. According to Sallie Mae’s 2017 “How America Pays for College” study, half of students are living at home, up 3 percent from the previous year.

Pay with GasBuddy was created to help consumers save more money when purchasing gasoline. This card allows students to save wherever and whenever they buy gas regardless of brand or location. Students get a discount of 15c/gallon on their first fill-up and 5c/gallon on every fill-up after. Cardholders can find the lowest gas price with the GasBuddy app and then get an additional discount by using the card. Estimate saving when utilizing the card with the app is $340 a year*.

This amount of savings can be translated to:

- 1259 packs of ramen noodles (.23 each)
- 30 large cheese pizzas ($11 each)
- 17 cases of Bud Light ($20 each)

“The rising cost of education puts a strain on student finances and the Pay with GasBuddy card can help ease that by helping students save on this everyday expense,” said Walt Doyle, CEO of GasBuddy. “Commuter students, students headed to jobs or internships, or even those driving home on the weekends to visit their families can benefits from Pay with GasBuddy savings.”

Program features include:

- Free to enroll
- No credit application
- Signing up is simple, secure, and takes just a few minutes
- It works everywhere
- Consumers save on every gallon of gas, every time

How Pay with GasBuddy Works

- Visit GasBuddy.com or download the free GasBuddy smartphone app and click on the wallet icon.
- Sign up by connecting a valid checking account to Pay with GasBuddy. No credit application is necessary and accounts are securely connected in about a minute.
- When you receive your card in the mail, activate it by setting up a unique Driver ID in the GasBuddy app. Your card is now ready to use.
- Swipe your card at the gas pump as you would any other plastic form of payment.

*When combining Pay with GasBuddy with the GasBuddy smartphone app.

About GasBuddy
GasBuddy is a smartphone app connecting drivers with their Perfect Pit Stop™. With 70 million downloads, GasBuddy is the leader in crowdsourced information to help drivers find the best gas prices, closest stations, friendliest service, cleanest restrooms, tastiest coffee and much more. GasBuddy is the leading source for the most accurate, real-time fuel prices at more than 140,000 gas stations in the U.S., Canada and Australia. The Company’s B2B Retailer Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), known as GasBuddy Business Pages, provide Fuel Marketers and Retailers their best opportunity to maintain their station information, manage their brand, and promote to their target consumer audience. For more information, visit www.gasbuddy.com or email press@gasbuddy.com.

Media Contact
Jessica Prouty
(781) 576-9530
jprouty@gasbuddy.com

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines, is now accepting applications for its 2018 Dissertation Fellowship Program. Ten fellowships of $10,000 each will be awarded.

Introduced in 2014, the program is designed to support doctoral candidates who are writing their dissertations. To be eligible, applicants must be an active Phi Kappa Phi member in the dissertation writing stage of doctoral study. All pre-dissertation requirements should be met by the November 30 deadline including approval of the dissertation proposal.

“The Phi Kappa Phi Dissertation Fellowship fills a unique funding niche by supporting young scientists who are taking steps towards academic independence,” said Anna Joy Rogers, a 2017 Dissertation Fellow. “Substantial grants like the dissertation fellowship—which do not restrict to subject matter—are hard to come by and may not be available in some academic fields. I trust that this award will enable me to make an important contribution to public health through my dissertation.”

The selection process for a dissertation fellowship examines how the fellowship will contribute to the completion of the dissertation, the significance of original research, and endorsement by the dissertation chair. Recipients will receive $10,000 to apply toward 12 months of dissertation writing.

In addition to dissertation fellowships, Phi Kappa Phi awards $1.4 million each biennium to qualifying students and members through study abroad grants, graduate fellowships, funding for post-baccalaureate development, member and chapter awards, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives.

The deadline to submit an application is November 30, 2017, and recipients will be notified by March 1, 2018. For full eligibility requirements and application instructions, visit www.phikappaphi.org/dissertation.

About Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 at the University of Maine. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States and the Philippines and inducts approximately 30,000 new members each year. Membership is by invitation only to the top 7.5 percent of juniors and the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students, along with faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction. Since its founding, Phi Kappa Phi has recognized the academic excellence of more than 1.5 million members on its chapter campuses. Some of the organization’s more notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, novelist John Grisham and YouTube cofounder Chad Hurley. For more information about Phi Kappa Phi, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.

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CONTACT
Hannah Breaux
Communications Director
hbreaux@phikappaphi.org
225.923.7777

Aegis Living CEO joins ‘Free Hugs Guy’ organizing nonpartisan peace rally

BELLEVUE, Wash. – Sept. 20, 2017 – Embracing differences and celebrating diversity have always been core values at Aegis Living, the national leader in assisted living and memory care. Now, Aegis Living CEO Dwayne Clark is joining a team of national peace activists, led by Ken Nwadike, the “Free Hugs Guy” to coordinate the March for Civility in Washington D.C.

Free Hugs Guy
The “Free Hugs Guy,” Ken Nwadike became an instant peace activist after giving out free hugs at the Boston Marathon following the terrible bombing tragedy. He has made headlines for his peacekeeping efforts and de-escalation of violence during protests, riots and political rallies, many times by offering free hugs to those involved.

Nwadike will be speaking at the March for Civility, along with Aegis CEO Clark, co-founder and National Organizer of the Black Panther Party Bobby Seale and Daryl Davis, an African American race relations expert known for his ability to get KKK members to denounce their affiliation.

March for Civility
The March for Civility gives participants a platform to speak out against hate, violence, racism and injustice, and to unite in peace. Nearly 100 Aegis Living employees will travel from the West Coast and join the more than five thousand marches registered for the peace rally.

“I am very proud of the large team from Aegis Living who will be traveling across the country to stand united in our effort to restore civility in this country,” says Clark. “Respect and dignity are core values at Aegis. We celebrate our diverse backgrounds. It pains me to hear the stories of divisiveness that are pulling so many apart. I don’t believe this is the norm for most Americans. I don’t believe it has to be this way and feel compelled to do something about it.”

Event Details:
When: Saturday, September 23, 2017
Time: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Where: Lincoln Memorial
2 Lincoln Memorial Cir. NW, Washington D.C. 20037

For more information and to register for the March for Civility visit RestoreCivility.org.

About Aegis Living
Aegis Living is a national leader in assisted living and memory care. The privately-held company founded in 1997 is headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., and operates 28 communities in Washington, California and Nevada. Follow the company on Twitter @aegisliving and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AegisLiving or visit the company website at www.aegisliving.com.

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Media Inquiries
To obtain video or images from the March for Civility or to interview Dwayne Clark contact:

Meeghan Black
Director of Public Relations – Aegis Living
425-209-2732
Meeghan.black@aegisliving.com

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines, is now accepting applications for its 2018 Excellence in Innovation Award. The deadline for interested institutions to apply for the $100,000 award is December 12, 2017.

Awarded each biennium, the Excellence in Innovation Award recognizes one college or university for achievement in finding powerful substantive solutions to improve the lives of others and create systematic large-scale change. The recipient institution will receive $100,000 in tangible recognition of its best practice in response to the changes and challenges facing higher education in the 21st century.

“The Phi Kappa Phi Excellence in Innovation Award is a fitting extension of our mission to recognize and promote excellence in higher education by lifting up the transformative work being done on college and university campuses across the country,” said Dr. Mary Todd, the Society’s executive director.

Since 1932, Phi Kappa Phi has awarded fellowships and grants to members and students on its chapter campuses. Currently, more than $700,000 is awarded annually through programs that last year recognized over 285 individuals. The Excellence in Innovation Award, first awarded in 2016 to Tulane University, is the Society’s only award for institutions.

The application period for colleges and universities to apply for the Excellence in Innovation Award is open until December 12, 2017. For more information including award criteria, eligibility, and timeline details, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org/Innovation.

About Phi Kappa Phi
Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi inducts approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni annually. The Society has chapters on more than 300 select colleges and universities in North America and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify. Since its founding, Phi Kappa Phi has recognized the academic excellence of more than 1.5 million members on its chapter campuses. For more information, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.

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Media Contact
Hannah Breaux
Communications Director
hbreaux@phikappaphi.org
225.923.7777

New survey shows that Dallas is one of the most affordable cities for date night 

DALLAS – September 11, 2017 – You’ve shined up your leather Nike high tops and cleared your schedule. Your favorite band is on tour and it’s the hottest ticket around and you’re planning to paint the town with your partner in crime.

Operation Date Night is in full swing, but with an asterisk: you’re on a budget.

Still, you’ve got to clean up and impress your date.

The good news: this endeavor doesn’t require a bank loan if you live in Dallas. In fact, it’s cheaper to wine, dine and impress in Dallas than most other major metro areas, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research’s Second Quarter 2017 Cost of Living Index.

Pizza and a movie? Cheaper in Dallas.

A glass of wine before heading out the door? Again, cheaper in Dallas.

(New haircut to wow your date? Not as cheap – but come on, it’s date night.)

Take a look at this chart, which compares the cost of “going out” in the cities that have added the most jobs in the last 12 months ending in July 2017, and you’ll see what we’re talking about.

Say Yes to Dallas: Good Times Going Out Index

* In case you had too much of a good time

We’ve neglected to mention perhaps the most-important fact: being able to pay for this. Unless you’re Bruce Wayne, you’ll need a job.

Dallas has been a top-three metro area for job growth for roughly four years now, according to the Department of Labor Statistics, and residents bring home more bacon than people in most other states, thanks to no income taxes. Those with skills in the leisure and hospitality sector and the professional and business services sectors have especially benefited, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There’s something to be said for living in a place where companies are hiring at a healthy clip and where going out doesn’t require staying in to save up.

Simply put: Dallas does date night better.

Want to know more about what it really means to live in Dallas? Check out www.SayYesToDallas.com to learn what the region has to offer.

About the Dallas Regional Chamber
The Dallas Regional Chamber is the voice of business and the champion of economic development and growth in the Dallas Region. We work with our 1,200 member companies and regional partners to strengthen our business community by advocating for pro-growth public policies, improving our educational system, attracting talented workers from around the world, and enhancing the quality of life for all. Our goal is to make Dallas the best place in America to live, work, and do business. For more information, please contact the Dallas Regional Chamber at 214.746.6600 or visit www.dallaschamber.org.

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Media Contact
Alex Lee
Phone: (214) 613-0025
Email: alex.lee@hkstrategies.com

The deadline to apply for a study abroad grant from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is Friday, September 15. Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all discipline honor society, will award 25 $1,000 grants to students nationwide.

Awarded twice a year—50 in the spring and 25 in the fall—the grants are designed to support undergraduates, both members and nonmembers, as they seek expanded knowledge and experience in their academic fields. Interested students do not have to be a member of Phi Kappa Phi to apply, but must currently attend an institution with an active chapter.

“Phi Kappa Phi’s Study Abroad Grant helped me bridge the difference between my current resources and my dreams,” said Ian McLaughlin, Session A grant recipient from Brigham Young University. “I will always be grateful for those who provide this type of funding for purpose-driven, highly-motivated students to pursue targeted international experiences.”

Phi Kappa Phi gives 75 study abroad grants annually to students on its chapter campuses. Since its inception in 2001, the program has awarded more than $775,000.

In addition to the study abroad program, the Society awards $1.4 million each biennium to qualifying students and members through graduate fellowships, funding for post-baccalaureate development, member and chapter awards, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives.

The application period for students to apply for a $1,000 study abroad grant is currently open until September 15. For full eligibility requirements and application instructions, visit www.phikappaphi.org/studyabroad.

About Phi Kappa Phi
Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi inducts approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni annually. The Society has chapters on more than 300 select colleges and universities in North America and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify. The Society’s mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.” For more information, visit www.phikappaphi.org.

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CONTACT
Hannah Breaux
Communications Director
hbreaux@phikappaphi.org
225.923.7777

First Nationwide At-Home STD Testing Service Reminds College Students to Practice Safe Sex with Following Tips

LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 - With millions of college students returning to school, the chances for sexual encounters increase, amidst a growing STI epidemic. According to the CDC, almost two-thirds of all reported cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea in the United States were among people aged 15–24. This risk is made even greater because having one of these STIs can increase the chances of contracting HIV.

Speaking of HIV, there’s a shocking amount of people who have never been tested. According to a report published in the journal Pediatrics, only one-third of sexually active young adults have ever been tested for HIV. That’s a lot of undiagnosed cases.

To that end, myLAB Box, the first nationwide at-home STD testing service, announced today tips for college students to practice safe sex:

A. Condoms. The condom is one of your best methods of defense against infection and unwanted pregnancies. When used correctly, they can offer a 98% chance of preventing pregnancy. While not perfect, latex condoms are also among the best ways to protect against many STIs.

a.   Tips for Condom Usage:

- Only use latex condoms.
- Use a new condom for every act of vaginal, anal, and oral sex.
- Always check the expiration date on a condom. An expired condom can break easily, rendering it useless. Chances are, that condom that’s been in your wallet since freshman year may be one of them.
- If you feel the condom break at any point during sexual activity, stop immediately and put on a new condom. That may not set the mood you’re looking for, but you’ll be glad you did.
- Never “double-bag it.” This means wearing multiple condoms at once. Contrary to urban legend, twice the condom does not offer twice the protection.

B. Other Methods of Protection. There are other ways to protect yourself as you go back to school and back in bed. These include the birth control pill, the patch and the ring, all of which are prescribed by your doctor. All of these methods are designed to administer hormones to your body – via pill, a patch that is worn on your skin, or a ring that you insert vaginally – for 3 weeks at a time, with your period occurring in the 4^th week.

These methods are great at stopping baby-making, which is great news for young people who may not be ready for parenthood. But these methods of birth control can still leave you exposed to a wide range of STIs.

C. Back to School, Back to Testing.  Again, STIs are a serious health risk. Regular testing is the best way to consistently know your status.  As the numbers of STIs increases, we all need to amp up our level of carefulness.

For example, HPV is shockingly common. Far more people than you might expect are living with this ultra-common STI. Just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s harmless, though. According to the CDC, HPV is responsible for nearly 91% of cervical cancers, 75% of vaginal cancers, 69% of vulvar cancers, 63% of penile cancers and 91% of anal cancers.

One of the smartest moves you can make for your sexual health is to get tested for HPV and other STIs.  If you’re too nervous to go to a clinic, you can order an at-home STI testing kit and do the test right in your dorm room. It’s so easy that it leaves you with no valid excuses for not getting tested. It even comes in a discreet package.

D. Safe Sex Isn’t As Safe As You May Think.  STIs are not only passed through intercourse.  You can also contract them from oral sex and, in some cases, even from kissing. For example, herpes, chlamydia and gonorrhea are three infections that can directly affect your mouth or throat. It pays to educate yourself on the common signs and symptoms of the most common STIs. myLAB Box’s blog and FAQ page provide invaluable study material.

- Look Out for These Common STD Signs and Symptoms
- What To Do If There Isn’t an STD Testing Clinic Near Me
- Safe is Sexy: Understanding PrEP and HIV Prevention
- STDs Are Gross! Myth vs. Reality
- Safe Is Sexy: A Woman’s Guide to Sexual Health
- Why is Gonorrhea called “The Clap” and Why You Should Care

F. Test Like Nobody’s Watching. A lot of college students are nervous about testing. That makes sense. Teens and young adults are often too shy to go to a clinic or doctor’s office.

Even just the idea of the lab bills being reported on their parents’ health insurance seems mortifying. But that’s still no reason to avoid being tested.

myLAB Box offers quick and private tests that can be paid for out-of-pocket (and for about half of the price you would at a doctor’s office). These tests take five minutes to complete and are shipped in discreet packaging. You can take them anytime and anyplace. If you live in one of the many states that offers telemedicine, and most do, you can even speak with a doctor and get prescribed your treatment right over the phone for no extra charge. It’s simply the easiest and most convenient way to be tested.

If you schedule your tests along with arriving back to school, you’ll be in total control of your sexual health. It’s a win-win situation for any sexually active young person.

“When we’re talking about sex, the risk of a surprise pregnancy is what most people worry about. That said, you absolutely need to keep an eye out for sexually transmitted diseases and infections, too,” said Lora Ivanova, Co-Founder of myLAB Box. “Even though you may know your bedroom partners from class, that’s not the same thing as knowing their STI status. College is often a time when students experiment with their sexual activity, have multiple partners and dates, and play it a little loose with the rules. With as many as 80% of infections showing little to no symptoms, you’ll never know if someone is free and clear of STIs unless they’ve been tested. We hope these tips will be a good reminder to college students to practice safe sex.”

And to help college students everywhere take greater control of their sexual health, myLAB Box is offering a 20% discount for all of September with the following discount code – backtoschool2017. And for students with either a medical Flexible Savings Account (FSA) or a Health Savings Accounts (HSA) accounts, myLAB Box proudly accepts both FSA and HSA as payment options, making its service even more affordable and accessible for men and women in every state.

About myLAB Box
Founded in 2013, myLAB Box is the first company to offer a nationwide at-home screening platform for STDs. All myLAB Box kits use FDA-approved technology and are validated by fully licensed CLIA-certified myLAB Box lab affiliates with decades of experience in testing for infectious diseases. By selling direct to consumers myLAB Box is able to offer exceptional service at half the cost of conventional lab tests. From affordable screening to complimentary physician consultations for positives, every aspect of the myLAB Box service is designed to be safe, effective and efficient. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California. For more information, visit: www.mylabbox.com.

Media Contact
John McCartney
Wise Public Relations for myLAB Box
415.480.4059
mylabbox@wisepublicrelations.com