“Walk of Shame Shuttle” Premieres Wednesday, March 18^th at 9PM on VH1

NEW YORK, NY (March 11, 2015) – VH1 is taking over the Summit Beach Resort in Panama City Beach, Florida from March 12-17, coming to the rescue of hard partying spring breakers with a branded activation surrounding the premiere of the new series “Walk of Shame Shuttle” on Wednesday, March 18^th at 9PM ET/ PT.

For the full month, spring breakers will walk the ‘Walk of Shame Lane’ from the elevators in the lobby, outside past the pool, and all the way down the boardwalk to the beach at the Summit Beach Resort. From March 12-17, a VH1 pop-up tent and SUV will be manned by brand ambassadors who will encourage revelers to play several “Walk of Shame Shuttle” themed games (corn hole and pong) and to spin the Walk of Shame Prize Wheel for the chance to win The Walk of Shame Survival Kit which includes a hat, tank top, boy shorts, flip flops, sunglasses, mints, hand sanitizer, toothbrush, hairbrush and keychain. For those out partying hard, branded SUV’s will be parked throughout Panama City Beach at several clubs in the area with ambassadors giving out  the essentials for any future walk of shamers.

VH1’s all-new series “Walk of Shame Shuttle” takes an uninhibited ride with hard-partying merrymakers rehashing the previous night’s escapades in the harsh daylight of the following morning.  The “Walk of Shame Shuttle” drivers (Kellyann Wargo, Jordan Pease and Michelle Collins) provide real life partygoers with a ride home the morning after, and VH1 has rigged each driver’s car with cameras to document every hilarious ride. Find out why sometimes the morning-after stories are better than the ones from the night before when “Walk of Shame Shuttle” premieres Wednesday, March 18 at 9PM ET/ PT on VH1.

“Walk of Shame Shuttle” is executive produced by Brian Graden, Lois Curren, Gaurav Misra, and Carrie Franklin for BG Media. Susan Levison, Jill Holmes, Kristen Kelly, Fernando Mills and Tricia Biggio serve as executive producers for VH1.

About VH1:
VH1 delivers the ultimate mash-up of music, pop culture and nostalgia for adults who still want to have fun.  VH1 is available in 99 million households in the U.S.  VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, the VH1 App, VH1.com and @VH1, the hub for all things music and pop culture.  Fans may also access current and retro VH1 programming via the VH1 App, the network’s three-in-one video, new form content and co-viewing app, available for free on iOS and Android platforms.  VH1 is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  For more information, go to www.vh1press.com, VH1.com, or the VH1 Facebook page.  Follow us on Twitter @VH1PR.

Media Contact:

Nyle Washington
212.846.5576
Nyle.Washington@vh1staff.com

Michael Cilnis
310.752.8019
Michael.Cilnis@viacom.com

College students across U.S. and Canada can team up and represent their school—more than $450,000 in tuition and other prizes up for grabs

Anyone can fill out a fantasy bracket, cheer on their favorite schools, and win big

ESPN to deliver exclusive live coverage of Heroes of the Dorm competition on TV and digital platforms

IRVINE, Calif.—March 6, 2015—Wrap up that term paper, because you’ll want to hit the battlegrounds with no distractions. Today, Blizzard Entertainment and TeSPA revealed plans for Heroes of the Dorm™—the ultimate Heroes of the Storm™ college tournament, offering an unprecedented prize pool where the winning team will receive free tuition for the rest of their college career. Currently in closed beta testing, Heroes of the Storm is Blizzard Entertainment’s free-to-play online team brawler featuring iconic heroes from more than 20 years of the developer’s rich gaming history. ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports, will deliver exclusive live coverage for Heroes of the Dorm on television and digital platforms. This represents the first live televised coverage of a collegiate eSports event on an ESPN network.

Heroes of the Dorm will bring together teams of college students from across the United States and Canada in an epic showdown to determine the strongest scholars in the Nexus, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition at stake. Every competing team will get access to the Heroes of the Storm closed beta test in order to participate. Plus, everyone’s invited to show their school spirit—and compete for prizes of their own—by participating in the Heroes of the Dorm fantasy bracket challenge.

“College sports do great things for student athletes—they help pay for schooling, build teamwork and communication skills, and create lasting memories,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We believe eSports has the same kind of power, and this tournament aims to bring positive experiences like these to college gamers. We can’t wait to fill out our fantasy brackets and cheer on a new generation of eSports athletes as they compete in Heroes of the Storm.”

The Heroes of the Dorm tournament is open to active college students in the United States and Canada and will be played across three rounds of competition:

• Open Qualifiers – Begin March 28
• Single-Elimination Bracket Play (Round of 64) – Begins April 11
• The Heroic Four live event to be held in late April

All five members of the first-place team will each enjoy up to $25,000 per year in college tuition for their remaining years of undergrad or graduate enrollment (up to three full years as an undergrad or up to two years as a grad student). Seniors and grad students with no remaining years of enrollment will receive one year’s worth of tuition to help repay student loans (or an equivalent cash prize if the student does not have any remaining student loans). Each player whose team emerges from the Round of 64 and makes it to the Heroic Four will take home a top-of-the-line gaming PC and officially licensed Heroes of the Storm peripherals and accessories.

ESPN3 will carry the Round of 16, Round of 8, and “Heroic Four” live exclusively on the multi-screen sports network. It is accessible in more than 99 million households nationwide to fans who receive their Internet or video subscription from an affiliated provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones, and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks. The coverage will also be available across ESPN media platforms in several international regions.

Viewers will be able to access Heroes of the Dorm tournament action on ESPN3 under the eSports category online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app (visit http://espn.go.com/watchespn/apps for a list of compatible devices), and streamed on televisions through Apple TV, Roku, and other connected devices.

In late April, the Heroes of the Dorm championship match will be televised live in prime time on an ESPN network and also accessible via WatchESPN. Further details on the telecast will be shared at a later date.

“Heroes of the Dorm presents an exciting opportunity to once again work with Blizzard, a leader in the games industry,” said Raphael Poplock, Vice President of Games and Partnerships, ESPN. “By delivering the tournament to an audience of gaming fans in the US and beyond, we are able to experiment with new formats and programming across our networks.”

To sign up, students should form a team of five players and register by visiting the official Heroes of the Dorm website, heroesofthedorm.com. Complete rules and eligibility requirements will be posted there as well.

Fantasy Bracket for Everyone
The Heroes of the Dorm tournament isn’t just for collegiate competitors—spectators can also create and share fantasy brackets to root for their favorite teams and partake in an epic prize pool valued at more than $25,000, including a $10,000 top prize for whoever predicts the final bracket most accurately, and top-of-the-line gaming PCs for the best five predictions. In addition, everyone who participates will receive a Heroes of the Storm in-game portrait, as well as opportunities to win high-end gaming PCs and a range of gaming peripherals. Check the Heroes of the Dorm website for complete rules and eligibility. Fantasy brackets will be available there starting on April 3.

In Heroes of the Storm, gamers can play some of their favorite characters from the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® universes, and team up with friends to battle other teams online. Heroes of the Storm features a variety of battlegrounds with multiple objectives that affect strategy in unique ways. In addition, players will be able to customize their heroes with a variety of skins, as well as special mounts that help them cover ground on the battlefield more quickly.

With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available—visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes nineteen #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

*Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

About ESPN
ESPN, Inc., The Worldwide Leader in Sports, is the leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring the broadest portfolio of multimedia sports assets with over 50 business entities. Based in Bristol, Conn., with 4,000 employees (7,000 worldwide) ESPN Plaza includes 950,000 square feet in 16 buildings on 123 acres (116 contiguous), with additional office space (400,000 sq. ft.) rented nearby. The company is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

About TeSPA
TeSPA is the premier college gaming network in North America, dedicated to creating a home for gamers on every campus. Recognized as the leader in collegiate gaming, TeSPA cultivates student communities, known as Local Chapters, which host epic gaming events on over 90 campuses in the United States and Canada. TeSPA supports its Local Chapters by connecting them to national partners for events, hosting cutting-edge competitions for college gaming athletes, facilitating collaboration between Local Chapters, and empowering student leaders to become entrepreneurs in the gaming industry.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about Heroes of the Storm and the Heroes of the Dorm tournament, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activ ision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

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For more information contact:

Rob Hilburger
VP, Global Communications
949.242.8404
rhilburger@blizzard.com

Emil Rodriguez
Director, Global PR
949.955.1380 x12064
elrodriguez@blizzard.com

Che’von Slaughter
PR Manager
949.955.1380 x14338
cslaughter@blizzard.com

Winners to be Honored at SVG College Sports Summit, May 28 in Atlanta

NEW YORK – March 5, 2015 – The Sports Video Group (SVG) and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) have announced that entries are now being accepted for the 7th Annual SVG/NACDA College Sports Media Awards (CSMA).

The SVG/NACDA College Sports Media Awards recognize the best in college sports video production, celebrating those who have pushed the envelope and set a higher standard for the quality of live and pre-/post-produced college sports video content.

Winners and finalists will be honored during a ceremony on May 28 at the 2015 SVG College Sports Summit (May 27-29, Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta).

The SVG College Sports Summit is the leading, national conference for college sports video production, bringing together over 500 industry leaders from broadcast networks, athletic departments, broadcast schools, production companies, and more. To learn more, visit www.svgcollege.com.

This year’s awards will be given in four divisions across five categories:

Divisions
National Networks/Professional
Regional, Local, and Conference Digital Networks
Collegiate Athletics
Collegiate Student

Categories
Live Game Production
Special Feature
Program Series
Live Studio/Remote-Hosted Programming
Program Open, Tease, Promotional Video, PSA, and Campaigns

Deadline for submissions to the College Sports Media Awards is April 20, 2015. For complete rules and to enter your production, visit www.svgcollege.com/awards.

About Sports Video Group
The Sports Video Group was formed in 2006 to support the professional community that relies on video, audio, and broadband technologies to produce and distribute sports content. Leagues, owners, teams, players, broadcasters, webcasters, and consumer technology providers have joined the SVG to learn from each other, turn vision into reality, implement new innovations, while sharing experiences that will lead to advancements in the sports production/distribution process and the overall consumer sports experience. For more information, visit www.sportsvideo.org.

About National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics
NACDA, now in its 50th year, is the professional and educational Association for more than 11,000 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 4,000 athletics administrators annually attend NACDA & Affiliates Convention Week. Additionally, NACDA manages 15 professional associations and three foundations. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.

Media Contact
Andrew Lippe
Sports Video Group
(212) 481-8133
andrew@sportsvideo.org

WASHINGTON—March 4, 2015–Let’s face it, sometimes when you hit the road, the road hits back. But when a breakdown interferes with break time, every second counts.

Picture this – you’re on the road with your best friend riding shotgun to the spring break destination of your dreams, and you get a flat tire. Problem is, you’re in the middle of nowhere and have no clue who to call to come help.

Fortunately, your friends told you to download Urgent.ly before you left. With just a few taps on your smartphone, a nearby tow truck is immediately en route – and just like Uber, you can watch help arrive right on your phone’s map.

So whether you’re heading to the white sandy beaches of Florida or the freshly powdered mountains of Colorado, don’t head out on your adventure without first downloading Urgent.ly. It’s free, and with a nationwide network of rescue vehicles and flat-rate, pay-per-use pricing, it’s an altogether better (and far cheaper) way to get roadside help than anything that’s come before it.

And for a limited time, Urgently is offering a lifetime discount on service of 15% to anyone who downloads the app and enters promo code “SB15” during registration.

Less paying, more playing. Sounds like a plan. Now, Urgent.ly download the app by clicking here!

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Contact: Laura Gross, lgross@scottcircle.com, 202-695-8223

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 3, 2015
CONTACT: Press Office, 202.692.2230

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 3, 2015 – President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama today will announce a powerful collaboration with the Peace Corps to expand access to education for girls around the world. Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet will join the President and First Lady for the announcement of the Let Girls Learn initiative at the White House.

Educating girls is essential to healthy and thriving communities, but globally, 62 million girls are not in school. Let Girls Learn will address that challenge by empowering local leaders to put lasting solutions in place that confront the barriers to girls’ education.

“Every girl matters, and when she is given the opportunity to get an education, everyone in her life benefits,” Hessler-Radelet said. “Peace Corps volunteers live and work at the grassroots level and develop strong relationships with local change-makers, which uniquely positions them to serve as catalysts for this community-led change.”

As part of Let Girls Learn, the Peace Corps and First Lady are making three specific commitments across 11 initial countries, including Albania, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Georgia, Ghana, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, Togo and Uganda:

• To build local capacity through targeted training, with a goal of training thousands of Peace Corps volunteers and tens of thousands of community leaders over the next six years to be champions of girls’ education.

• To raise awareness among the American people and garner support for community-based solutions through the Peace Corps Partnership Program, which supports Peace Corps volunteer community projects worldwide, and the newly established Peace Corps Let Girls Learn Fund.

• To increase Peace Corps volunteers’ impact as they work to break down barriers to girls’ education by aiming to recruit, train and place at least 650 additional volunteers in targeted countries to promote girls’ education and empowerment.

Last year, more than 82,000 girls and young women around the world participated in camps and youth clubs led by Peace Corps volunteers, and more than 2,000 Peace Corps volunteers led girls’ education and empowerment activities across 60 countries. From helping to start a school library to organizing a technology camp for girls, this collaboration will bring increased focus, resources and impact to the critical global issue of girls’ education.

Learn more and support Peace Corps’ Let Girls Learn efforts by visiting letgirlslearn.peacecorps.gov.

About the Peace Corps: The Peace Corps sends the best and brightest Americans abroad on behalf of the United States to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. Volunteers work at the grassroots level to develop sustainable solutions that address challenges in education, health, economic development, agriculture, environment and youth development. Through their service, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a life-long commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today’s global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, nearly 220,000 Americans of all ages have served in 140 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.peacecorps.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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BetterMoneyHabits.com Offers Free Financial Education Resources Can Help

CHARLOTTE – A recent Bank of America/USA TODAY Better Money Habits Millennial Report found that even though a large majority (80 percent) of college-age millennials (ages 18-25) surveyed across the country believe they will be “better off” or “the same” as their parents, and two-thirds say they have good financial habits, large numbers still worry about the cost of student loans/college education (33 percent) and spending beyond their means (36 percent).

Overspending, Student Loan Worries

College-age millennials have a lot on their minds when it comes to studying and choosing career paths that will set the stage for their financial and professional futures, but they’re also carrying concerns about their ability to spend only within their means and increasing worries around student loan debt and saving for the future. In fact, 61 percent of 18-25 year olds say it’s very difficult for people their age to live within their means. Additionally, 49 percent say student loan debt is having “a lot” or “some” impact on their ability to spend or save right now.

Information and tips on personal budgeting, paying down student loans and navigating other financial issues are available at BetterMoneyHabits.com, a free and objective financial education resource.

In Careers, Passion over Paycheck

Despite the fact that today’s college-age millennials have come of age in the aftermath of the financial crisis, they are incredibly hopeful for the future, with optimistic, passion-driven views. Though a large majority (75 percent) of millennials ages 18-25 said that when deciding what to study in school, income was “very” or “somewhat” important, the report results indicate that less than half (38 percent) actually believe that salary is more important than doing what you love. When asked about the annual salary that college-age millennials believed they need to feel successful, a similar number reported needing less than $40,000 a year (21 percent) as reported needing more than $100,000 a year to feel the successful (25 percent).

Get free guidance on saving and planning for the future at BetterMoneyHabits.com, including how to create a safety net for life’s unexpected events, saving for a large purchase and how to make your money grow through compound interest.

Finding Solutions: Better Money Habits

No matter where you are in your college life – as a freshman just starting school and looking to make a budget or as a senior approaching graduation and starting to pay off student loans – setting goals can help. For those who want a resource to help better understand personal finance topics, Bank of America and education innovator Khan Academy have partnered to develop BetterMoneyHabits.com, a free, objective education resource that offers content and tools for anyone, anywhere. The site is designed with the key needs of the user in mind and includes content that specifically addresses topics most important to millennials.

About the Bank of America/USA TODAY Better Money Habits Millennial Report
The Bank of America/USA TODAY Better Money Habits Millennial Report was conducted online among 1,001 adults during the period of October 9 – October 20, 2014 by GfK Public Affairs and Corporate Communication, using GfK’s KnowledgePanel®, a statistically representative sample source used to yield results that are projectable to the American population. To qualify, millennials had to be 18 to 34 years old, of which 477 respondents were in the college-age, 18-25 years old age group. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

About Better Money Habits
Bank of America has made a substantial commitment to address the need for better financial literacy by partnering with Khan Academy – a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Together, they’ve developed BetterMoneyHabits.com, a free, objective online financial resource that pairs Khan Academy’s expertise in online learning with the financial expertise of Bank of America. The customizable experience breaks down concepts and provides practical, actionable steps to strengthen the connection between financial knowledge and behavior.

Media Contact
Tara Burke
tara.a.burke@bankofamerica.com

Coupon destination provides tips for booking cheap spring vacations 

Austin, TX, February 25, 2015 — Many college students dream of taking a spring break that would rival the party scenes in “Spring Breakers.” But when they look at their bank account they realize the only vacation they’ll be having is a staycation on the sofa watching reruns of MTV live broadcasts from Daytona. To help every student book a vacation they deserve, leading digital offers destination RetailMeNot (www.retailmenot.com) put together a list of the top ways students can save money on spring break travel.

VISIT TRAVEL SITES THAT SPECIALIZE IN STUDENT VACATIONS TO RESEARCH AFFORDABLE DESTINATIONS

StudentUniverse provides deals on activities for college students, including discounts on tours, rail passes and events like winery tours and snorkeling. The site even has a travel blog with tips and advice written by fellow students and a free mobile app that keeps track of your itinerary.

StudentCity lets users search by the type of trip and even offers StudentCity packages where they will coordinate your group’s flights, hotel reservations, parties (including VIP access to clubs) and activities.

Kayak has a feature called “Explore” that allows users to enter their departure city and preferred travel dates, and the site returns a map with the prices of round-trip flights to major cities around the world. This is a great starting place for the student who will go anywhere as long as it fits within his or her budget.

CONSIDER BOOKING A VACATION RENTAL HOME VERSUS A HOTEL

Instead of booking a hotel for your group and packing everyone into close quarters with rollaway beds, consider using a website like HomeAway.com to search for houses and other residential properties to stay in.

“For students on a budget, renting a whole house and splitting the costs is the most affordable option for spring break,” says HomeAway.com Senior Vice President Jon Gray. “On average, vacation home rentals are half the cost of a standard hotel room, which enables your group to not only save money but to stay together, relax and create the ultimate spring break memories.”

ROAD TRIP

In most of the country, gas prices are the lowest they’ve been in years. According to a survey conducted by Ipsos* on behalf of HomeAway.com, 25 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 34 are planning to take a road trip over spring break due to low gas prices.

If you don’t have the budget for airfare, find a friend with a reliable car and plan a road trip to a nearby destination. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, use an app like Hotel Tonight to find same-day hotel deals in whichever city you end up.

UTILIZE MONEY-SAVING APPS AND WEBSITES

To save on everything from travel and hotel arrangements to spring clothing and luggage for your vacation, visit coupon destination RetailMeNot.com or download the free RetailMeNot Coupons app to access thousands of online and in-store offers for all the stores you love. The app uses geofencing technology to show you nearby offers, and if you login as a member you’ll receive exclusive access to restaurant deals—just show the offer from your phone at checkout!

Before you book, check RetailMeNot for travel discounts for sites like Expedia, Hotels.com, Hotwire and others. For more information on how college students can save money, visit the college section of The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.

*This survey of more than 1,000 Americans was fielded by Ipsos on January 23 through 25, 2015.

About RetailMeNot.com 
RetailMeNot.com is a leading digital offers destination that helps consumers save money. Since November 2006, our users have shared hundreds of thousands of offers from retailers. These offers are voted on by users, ensuring that quality deals rise to the top and those that are expired drop down the list. RetailMeNot.com is operated by RetailMeNot, Inc., the world’s largest marketplace for digital offers. Consumers can save more at their favorite stores by downloading the RetailMeNot app at http://www.retailmenot.com/blog/rmn-whats-new.html.

We’re out to save the world (some money).™ Consumers can follow RetailMeNot on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+ by visiting http://www.retailmenot.com/corp/websites.

Media Contact:
Kristen Nelson
RetailMeNot, Inc.
+1 832 398 5792 mobile
knelson@rmn.com

Do you want to succeed in the global economy? If so, you should study abroad and gain language and cultural skills that will be crucial to your career. Find out how: visit the Virtual Study Abroad Fair this Wednesday, February 25th, from 12 noon until 8:00 pm EST. Register at www.collegeweeklive.com/studyabroad

It is free for students, and you can win valuable study abroad prizes! The fair, hosted by the Institute of International Education, CollegeWeekLive, and the U.S. Department of State, is a unique opportunity for students and parents to learn more about the benefits of study abroad, program options, potential host countries and funding opportunities for those experiences abroad.

Visit the Virtual Study Abroad Fair to:

• Watch live video presentations about topics such as choosing a program, learning how to finance studying abroad, applying for scholarships, preparing for study abroad, and the value of study abroad for careers and job prospects.
• Attend sessions focused on study abroad opportunities in specific countries or regions.
• Hear from educational organizations about study abroad programs, internships abroad, and service learning opportunities.
• Chat live with study abroad representatives from colleges and universities and study abroad programs around the world.

Students who visit at least 5 virtual booths will be eligible to win one of the following prizes (you must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for prizes):

• Two (2) – $1,000 IIE Travel Prizes for study abroad (U.S students must be enrolled in an approved study abroad program by their institution to receive funds)
• Two (2) – $500 STA Travel vouchers
• Four (4) – $50 Amazon vouchers

This Virtual Study Abroad Fair is part of IIE’s Generation Study Abroad initiative to double the number of students who study abroad by the end of the decade. Learn more by visiting www.iie.org/generationstudyabroad. Join the conversation at #generationstudyabroad. Follow @IIEGlobal on Twitter and Facebook.

In its first year, nearly 500 partners from academia, and the public and private sectors from the U.S. and abroad joined IIE’s Generation Study Abroad initiative. These partners have pledged specific, actionable goals and tangible financial commitments that will contribute significantly to reach our ambitious goal.

Media Contact:
Sharon Witherell
Institute of International Education
212-984-5380
switherell@iie.org

Note to editors: 
We welcome reporters and editors to register and join the Virtual Study Abroad Fair to explore and write about the information and the experience. (Note, you can still write about the fair after February 25 — students can register online after the fair is over to visit the virtual study abroad booths for 90 days, but the live presentations and live chats will not be available after the event). Please contact switherell@iie.org if you would like to interview someone at IIE about the Virtual Study Abroad Fair or about IIE’s Generation Study Abroad initiative.

Download JPEG image here:
https://d1l2atlc7o8lye.cloudfront.net/event_material/custom-reg-pages/2015-Feb-StudyAbroadDay.jpg

Students kill three birds with one stone by honing their creative-writing skills and practicing gratitude as a learned behavior in cash-prize competition

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 23, 2015 – Students are honing their creative-writing skills while expressing gratitude to friends, family members, and loved ones in a cash-prize competition on Favorfloat.com, a financial social network headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn

“If a student writes a gratitude message, then he/she is required to vote both for his/her message and for ten other messages written by other students that he/she believe are the most creative. Any member of the general public may log in with his or her email address to select and vote for a gratitude message that they believe is creative. At the end of each quarter, the 100 gratitude messages with the highest votes will automatically be selected for a final round of voting. The 20 messages that receive the most votes will be sent to 21 judges, who will each cast one vote to select the grand winner, who will receive first prize. Second- and third-place prizes will also be awarded, as well as prizes for all finalists,” said Ricky Wunderlich, Contest IT Director.

“I’m 19 and a college student, so the thought of thanking my parents for everything they have done for me—paying for my tuition and all kinds of stuff—has never occurred to me,” said competition contestant Barry Emmanuel, student at North Central Seminary in Minneapolis. “I just thought they are my parents—that’s what they are supposed to do. I felt they were obligated to take care of my needs until I graduated, got a job, and was able to take care of my own needs. But Favorfloat.com changed my mind,” Emmanuel added with a smile. “My parents don’t owe me a thing, and I wrote a gratitude message thanking them for everything they have done for me for the whole world to see. Honestly, I didn’t do it for the prize money. I just felt bad about how selfish I had been, but I hope my gratitude message wins something,” said Barry Emmanuel with two thumbs up.

Philip Jegede, Chairman of Favorfloat Corporation explains, “Like John Amodeo wrote,” ‘No doubt, our parents worked tirelessly to get us to say “thank you” when someone offered a gift or did us a favor. Most likely, they succeeded in getting us to mouth these words. But while we internalized proper etiquette, did we understand the purpose behind uttering thanks? To what extent did we develop an inner sense of feeling and conveying genuine gratitude? Gratitude is a corrective to our sense of entitlement. One aspect of narcissism is the belief that we deserve to get without having to give. We feel that we’re entitled to fulfill our needs without being troubled by perceiving another’s world and responding to others’ needs. Our attention is fully absorbed within a limited and narrow sense of self. The capacity to experience gratitude means that we’re extending attention beyond ourselves to perceive what someone has given us o r done for us. During a moment of gratitude, our eyes open to the existence of the other. Simultaneously, we register how their eyes opened to recognize our existence as separate from their own. They did something positive for us or with us. During that moment, they saw us, appreciated us, cared about us — and perhaps even loved us. Rather than take these precious gifts for granted, gratitude signals an appreciation for their generously extending attention beyond themselves and into our world.’

“Favorfloat is promoting gratitude as a learned behavior, since ungrateful attitudes contribute to narcissistic behavior among youth—a destructive behavior that they carry into adulthood,” said Jegede. Jegede cites a 2004 article from The Journal of Youth and Adolescence Research suggesting that narcissistic features contribute to aggression in adults. “The study examined the association of these features with aggression and internalized symptoms in 233 students to reveal that narcissistic exploitativeness could predict proactive aggression and that narcissistic exhibitionism could predict internalizing symptoms. The study also found that narcissism and self-esteem interacted to predict both aggression and internalized symptoms.”

“The integrity of judge selection and the award will be monitored by an independent certified public accounting firm,” said Jegede. The chairman added that students interested in using Favorfloat to hone their creative-writing skills, express gratitude to those they care about, and/or just take part in a positive environment of gratefulness while standing to win thousands of dollars should visit www.favorfloat.com click on the “Play Gratitude Prize” tab and submit their messages of gratitude to whomever they consider worthy of receiving them.

CONTACT:
Ricky Wunderlich
Favorfloat Corporation
4111 Central Avenue NE North Building
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55421
Tel: 763-788-0221

Sodexo announces new commitment to eliminate veal crates from its supply chain and a phased-in approach to sourcing all egg products exclusively from cage-free hens

GAITHERSBURG, Md., February 19, 2015.  Sodexo takes additional steps within its animal welfare policy in U.S. operations today, outlining a phased approach to sourcing poultry, beef and veal from suppliers and fostering improved animal well-being through its supply chain. In a move lauded by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Sodexo specifically announced that it will eliminate the use of veal crates from its supply chain by 2017 and extend its previous commitments to source all of its shell eggs from cage-free systems by now moving to source all of its liquid eggs solely from cage-free hens by the end of 2020.

“By committing to source all egg products exclusively from cage-free hens, Sodexo has built on an already strong set of animal welfare policies, with this latest pledge affecting the removal of 750,000 hens annually from extreme confinement in battery cage systems,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO, the Humane Society of the United States. “We appreciate the company’s prior commitments to source shell eggs from cage-free operations and its pork from producers who do not use gestation crates. But today’s announcement is surely one of the biggest decisions in the food sector from an animal welfare perspective.”

Every year, more than 60 billion animals are raised worldwide for food. The intensity and level of magnitude involved with animal production tends to create pressure for efficiencies, but unfortunately they are too often associated with significant and widespread animal welfare concerns. Appropriate animal husbandry practices from transportation, to housing, feeding and veterinary care play a key role in reducing those concerns.

Sodexo’s Global Animal Welfare Policy provides general guidelines and standards, which are often exceeded in U.S. operations. “With an annual spend of nearly $900 million on animal proteins in the U.S., Sodexo has established sustainable purchasing practices with suppliers that drive humane treatment of animals throughout our supply chain,” said Deborah Hecker, vice president, sustainability and corporate social responsibility, Sodexo. “We see animal welfare, including these new measures for cage-free eggs and crate-free veal, as a key component of a sustainable supply chain alongside food safety, food security, nutrition and science-based environmental practices.”

Sodexo currently sources about 20 million pounds of liquid eggs annually, from 750,000 egg-laying hens. It will now move to sourcing liquid eggs only from cage-free hens with a phased-in approach that will be complete by the end of 2020. The company’s 2012 commitment to eliminate gestation crates from the pork supply chain by 2022 remains intact.

In a series of next steps to protect and promote improved treatment of farm animals, Sodexo also is committed to working with suppliers to ensure the use of pain relief protocols, particularly as it relates to de-horning, castration and tail-docking procedures, which the company is working to eliminate.

Sodexo first reinforced its commitment to conducting business in a responsible and sustainable manner in 2009 by launching the Better Tomorrow Plan—its global roadmap to sustainability. That plan specifically called on the company to work with its suppliers to improve animal welfare in all the countries where it operates by 2015. In line with its ongoing progress, Sodexo continues to require passing scores on annual third-party animal welfare audits from its fully integrated suppliers.

For a company with operations in 80 countries at more than 32,700 sites, addressing animal welfare is a tremendous undertaking, largely due to the complexities of a global supply chain and differences in agriculture practices around the world. Despite the challenges, building valued partnerships with affected suppliers, leading authorities and credible organizations like HSUS is instrumental in achieving progress and educating stakeholders about the issue.

While the work is not yet complete, Sodexo is proud of the advances it continues to make and the recognition it has achieved. This month, for example, Sodexo was ranked for the eighth consecutive year as the best-performing company for economic, social and environmental performance in the benchmark RobecoSAM Sustainability Yearbook 2015, earning it Industry Leader and Gold Class recognition. The industry award specifically calls out a concern for animal welfare and ethical sourcing as driving factors for global supply chains.

Visit SodexoUSA.com to learn more about our commitment to animal welfare and for regular updates on our performance.

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About Sodexo in North America 
Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Life Services company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On-site Services in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Benefits and Rewards Services and Personal and Home Services. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $25 million in grants to end childhood hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at SodexoInsights.com. Visit Sodexo on Facebook and follow on Twitter @SodexoUSA.

Media Contact
Sam Wells
Sodexo, Inc.
301 987 4893
samuel.wells@sodexo.com

Josh Balk
The Humane Society of the U.S.
301-721-6419
jbalk@humanesociety.org