Net Impact Lends Expertise to Monitor Environment, Health and Nutrition Programs

GAITHERSBURG, Md., October 15, 2009 — Sodexo is launching a new fellowship program to monitor the impact of its sustainability initiatives with nonprofit group Net Impact, a global network of 15,000 leaders including corporate and nonprofit professionals, and graduate students in business administration and related fields.

This partnership allows tomorrow’s leaders to help Sodexo and its 6,000 clients in North America measure sustainability programs to ensure they meet the goals of business, people and the environment. The fellows will also learn the scope and impact that integrated facilities management plays in helping companies, colleges, hospitals and other organizations improve the environmental performance of their buildings and campuses.

“Learning how to measure and report on a company’s sustainability efforts is an increasingly important business skill,” said Arlin Wasserman, vice president of sustainability and corporate social responsibility. “We will challenge and enrich promising young business leaders with this professional experience, which will in turn help our clients and company improve sustainability performance.”

Sodexo is committed to measuring sustainability performance to increase benefits to clients and to the environment, health and wellness, and the local communities it serves. Sodexo was recently named Dow Jones Worldwide Sector Sustainability Leader for the fourth consecutive year, demonstrating leadership in economic, environmental and social performance.

“We are thrilled to work with Sodexo to bring this exclusive opportunity to our talented network,” said Liz Maw, executive director, Net Impact. “Hands-on opportunities like the Sodexo Sustainability Fellowship enrich our MBA student members’ educational experience, showing them how to apply their business skills to make a positive impact.”

Fellows will work on 100 Sodexo client sites to help benchmark performance in sustainability programs, including environment, nutrition, health, and wellness and local community development. Sodexo regards the benchmarking process as integral to improving clients’ sustainability performance, achieve their business goals and to create savings and eco-efficiencies.

Sodexo recognizes the importance of developing new approaches to address sustainability concerns now and in the future to meet the challenges of climate change and healthcare costs.

Sodexo, Inc.
Sodexo, Inc. (www.SodexoUSA.com) is a leading integrated facilities management services company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with $7.7 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 120,000 employees. Sodexo serves more than ten million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, government, and remote sites. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., is a member of Sodexo Group, and 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 $11 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.SodexoUSA.com/blog.

Net Impact
Net Impact is a global organization of students and professionals using business to improve the world. We offer a portfolio of programs and initiatives to educate, equip and inspire more than 15,000 members to make a tangible difference through business. Spanning six continents, our membership is one of the most influential networks of students and professionals in existence today and includes current and emerging leaders in corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, international development and environmental sustainability. For more information, please visit www.netimpact.org.

CONTACT: Monica Zimmer 301 987 4461 monica.zimmer@sodexo.com

New system to link campuses, enhance online student services

BOCA RATON, Fla., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ — Campus Management Corp® announced today it has been selected by Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) to implement its CampusVue® student information system for the district’s career and technical education centers.

“We have found a software system in CampusVue that can help us with student growth, enrollment management, efficient operations, and employee and student satisfaction at the tech centers,” said Janet Addair, OCPS associate superintendent. “This system will help us align the processes at five campuses with an annual enrollment of more than 50,000 students. Campus Management has assured us they will help us manage the change that will take place both with our stakeholders at the district and campus levels. We look forward to the increased benefits for our students, and our school employees look forward to increased productivity when the K-12 system and the CampusVue postsecondary system can be integrated.”

Campus Management’s software system is designed to provide students, faculty, staff and management with 24/7 access to information, online services, and an array of communications tools. The new student information system will be integrated with OCPS’s current K-12 student management system, Pearson, to help simplify online access to classes, registration, billing and aid, and academic records and advising.

Unique characteristics of Campus Management’s software systems are expected to help OCPS more easily manage its nontraditional courses on flexible academic terms, while serving students who may be simultaneously enrolled in programs and courses at multiple sites across the county.

“OCPS serves a diverse community and has the right vision to enhance its efficiency and take service-levels to new heights,” said Timothy B. Loomer, president and CEO of Campus Management Corp.  “We excel in exactly these kinds of complex, multi-campus operations where efficiency and outcomes matter.  Campus Management also happens to be a Florida company, so we’re very aware of our state’s budget and workforce challenges. We are extremely enthusiastic and motivated, to say the least.”

Based in Boca Raton, FL, Campus Management’s professional services group will engage with OCPS in a cooperative process to implement, pilot, and launch the new system. In the previous fiscal year, the company launched more than 120 campuses on the CampusVue student system using this same deployment methodology.  More than 75 percent of the largest proprietary career and online colleges in the United States and growing numbers of public and private institutions run on the company’s administrative software.

The project at OCPS begins in November 2009 and is expected to conclude in as little as fourteen months.  The products include the CampusVue student information system, web portals, and web services to integrate third party software such as the K-12 system already in place at OCPS.

About Campus Management Corp®

More than 1,700 colleges, universities, foundations, and other companies in 35 countries rely upon Campus Management Corp® enterprise software products and services. Campus Management’s CampusVue® Ecosystem is a fully integrated, centralized administrative and e-learning platform that unifies services, academic delivery, administrative management and reporting for a full range of public, private and proprietary postsecondary institutions.

Campus Management’s award-winning student information systems, fundraising software, financials, HR solutions, and Talisma® CRM, the leading Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) solution for Higher Education, are used by more than 75 percent of the largest US-based proprietary career and online colleges as well as leading colleges, universities, foundations, and companies. For more information, visit www.campusmanagement.com.

About Orange County Public Schools

For more information about OCPS, visit www.ocps.net.

CONTACT:  Lisa Patterson, Corporate Communications Manager, Campus Management Corp, +1-561-213-8702, lpatterson@campusmgmt.com

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Allstate Insurance Company, the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, will hold its first college recruiting virtual career fair on Wednesday, October 21.

The event makes it easy for college students to browse and apply for internships that will be hosted by Allstate next summer. By logging into www.allstatevirtualcareerfair.com, students can visit “virtual career booths” that highlight the various internship opportunities available at Allstate’s headquarters in Northbrook, Ill.

“A summer internship at a Fortune 100 company like Allstate can offer college students the credentials and experience they need to make their resume stand out in today’s job market,” said Tom Hall, assistant vice president of talent acquisition.

The following departments will be represented: actuary, finance/accounting, claims, communications, information technology, investments and marketing. The innovative college recruiting fair takes place October 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT.

The event allows students to chat live with an Allstate college recruiter. They also can watch short video features that reflect Allstate’s dedication to innovation, the environment, volunteerism and public social responsibility. Allstate has been recognized by a wide variety of media outlets and independent associations that monitor workplace issues. It’s a seven-time award winner of Top 50 Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc magazine; and named Working Mother magazine’s 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers for the past 19-years.

About the Allstate Corporation

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®” slogan, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help more than 17 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate®.

CONTACT:  David Steck of Allstate, +1-847-402-5600

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ — The YWCA will host a national webinar for “Gen Y” young women, ages 18-30, titled OWN Your Power: Forming Healthy Intimate Partner Relationships, on Monday, October 19, at 4:00 – 5:00 pm EST, which will kick off its annual Week Without Violence on October 18-24.

The webinar’s guest speaker will be Dr. Janet Taylor, a psychiatrist based in New York City who is a frequent guest expert on CBS’s Early Show, NBC’s Today Show, and CNN’s Nancy Grace. She is also board chair of the Black Women’s Health Imperative and mother of four daughters.

As part of YWCA’s national OWN IT! campaign that engages “Gen Y” women, this webinar will provide a safe space for them to explore their own power to create a healthy intimate partner relationship – their unique psychology, how to assess the health of their relationships, and how to recognize less obvious forms of abusive behavior. To register for the webinar, go to https://ywca.webex.com/ywca/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=640736099

YWCA USA is a national not-for-profit membership organization that provides social services, advocacy, education and leadership development. It is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Established in the United States in 1858, the YWCA is the oldest and largest national women’s organization, and celebrating its 150th anniversary. Through its nearly 300 affiliated local YWCAs and its headquarters in Washington, DC, the YWCA serves 2.5 million women and girls each year. Globally, the YWCA USA is a member of World YWCA, which has affiliates in 106 countries that serve 25 million women and girls worldwide. Visit www.ywca.org.

CONTACT: Nancy Loving of YWCA USA, +1-202-467-0801, cell,  +1-202-641-1845, nloving@ywca.org

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Here’s a fun fact: The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) employs more scientists and engineers than any other government agency. But here’s a more worrisome fact: America’s national security workforce is rapidly aging, and many defense researchers are expected to soon retire. Filling those vacancies won’t be easy because the U.S. isn’t graduating enough students from the so-called STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). To help offset that problem, Congress in 2005 created a highly lucrative DOD scholarship aimed at bolstering the Pentagon’s science and engineering talent pool. And this year, that program is bigger than ever.

DOD’s Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship program’s overarching goal is promoting the education, recruitment and retention of outstanding undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in STEM disciplines.

Since 2005, the Program has awarded 576 SMART scholarships worth $96.5 million. The program has been a huge success, so the Pentagon has decided to enlarge it. DOD expects to award 300 scholarships this year worth a total of $45 million. And the application process is now open.

“The Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Defense Scholarship Program is one of the nation’s most generous scholarship programs funded by the Department of Defense to help support education and job placement for America’s next generation of scientists and engineers,” says Deborah Shifflett, SMART Program manager.

Just how generous are the SMART scholarships? Students not only get their full tuition and fees paid, but are given allowances for books and health care. On top of that, they receive an annual cash stipend ranging from $25,000 to $41,000. In exchange for receiving such a rich award, students must agree to work for a DOD laboratory for a specified period of time.

Students who are at least 18 years of age, enrolled or planning to be enrolled in a STEM discipline program and are U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for a SMART Scholarship.

Applications must be received by December 15, 2009.

The SMART Program is administered by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE ) and the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). For more information, or to apply online, please visit: www.asee.org/smart.

For media inquiries, please contact Deborah Shifflett, SMART Program Manager; telephone: 831-656-3758; email: dsshiffl@nps.edu.

CONTACT:  Deborah Shifflett, SMART Program Manager; +1-831-656-3758, dsshiffl@nps.edu

In Post-9/11 GI Bill era, new Web Site offers military and veteran students the tools they need to find Military Friendly Schools.

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ – G.I. Jobs announces the launch of its new Web site at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com. The site, loaded with interactive tools and search functionality, helps military veterans find the schools that best meet their educational needs.

The 1,000 schools on the new Web site are those selected to G.I. Jobs “Military Friendly Schools” list in August.  They represent the top 15 percent most “military friendly” of the nation’s 7,000 schools.  The new Web site augments the recently published Guide to Military Friendly Schools, with a circulation of over 150,000 to prospective military students.

Military students can search for schools based on degree type, geographic location, military tuition discounts, credit for military service, Yellow Ribbon program, academic accreditations and more.  They can even request information directly from the school, via an innovative Electronic Reader Response form.

The militaryfriendlyschools.com search engine creates a filtered list of the Military Friendly Schools and provides prospective military students with critical information they need to select a school.  The schools listed include undergrad colleges, graduate schools and trade / vo-tech schools.

“This website is especially important now because the recently enacted Post-9/11 GI Bill has given veterans virtually unlimited financial means to go to school,” said Rich McCormack, G.I. Jobs publisher. “Veterans can now enroll in any school, provided they’re academically qualified. So schools are clamoring for them like never before.  Veterans need a trusted friend to help them decide where to get educated. The www.militaryfriendlyschools.com Web site is that trusted friend.”

It’s never been easier for students to find everything they need to enroll in the Military Friendly School that’s right for them.  In addition to finding the right school, www.militaryfriendlyschools.com is packed with information students need about how to make the right decision and maximize their GI Bill benefits.

Methodology used to determine the list of Military Friendly Schools were developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Committee (AAC) consisting of educators and administrators from Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Toledo, Duquesne University, Coastline Community College and Lincoln Technical Institute.

ABOUT G.I. Jobs

G.I. Jobs (www.gijobs.com) annually rates the nation’s “Military Friendly Employers,” “Military Friendly Franchises” and “Military Spouse Friendly Employers.”

NOTE TO EDITORS: www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/mfspr

CONTACT: Matthew Pavelek of G.I. Jobs, +1-412-269-1663 Ext. 145, matthew.pavelek@gijobs.com

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ – Penn Foster College, one of the nation’s largest online colleges, has launched a new Fashion Merchandising Associate Degree Program.

The new Fashion Merchandising Associate Degree Program covers the many functional areas of fashion merchandising including fashion promotion, textiles, retail management, marketing, buying, and merchandising.

Upon completing the program, students will have the necessary skills to seek employment in the fields of merchandising, sales management, marketing, e-commerce, and retailing.

Penn Foster College has more than 34,000 active online students worldwide. Students study independently and, in many cases, more quickly than a traditional college. The college is ideal for those who have family and employment obligations.

Penn Foster College is nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council and licensed by the Arizona State Board of Private Postsecondary Education. To learn more go to www.pennfostercollege.edu.

About Penn Foster

Penn Foster College, Penn Foster Career School, and Penn Foster High School are part of Penn Foster Inc., a global leader in online education.  For more than 117 years, Penn Foster has been providing career training programs in the fields of health care, business, technology, automotive technology, and select trades. Nationally and regionally accredited Penn Foster High School serves more than 40,000 online students seeking individual courses or a complete diploma program. Penn Foster Career School (www.PennFoster.edu) and Penn Foster High School (www.PennFosterHighSchool.com) are headquartered in Scranton, PA, with regional offices in Montreal, Canada.

Penn Foster, Inc. Corporate Website: www.pennfosterinc.com

CONTACT: Michelle Dempsey at Penn Foster, +1-570-961-4641, Michelle.Dempsey@pennfoster.edu

Hampton Roads’ Newest Creative Arts Destination Slated to Begin Classes in January 2010

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ — The Art Institutes system of schools officially announces the opening of The Art Institute of Virginia Beach. The new school, a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta, will hold its first day of classes on January 11, 2010.

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach will occupy approximately 35,000 square feet at Two Columbus Center, 4500 Main Street in the heart of Virginia Beach.  The school will begin enrolling students immediately.

“The Art Institutes schools have earned a strong, national reputation for excellence in creative arts education, and we look forward to bringing our signature culinary, fashion, design, and media arts programs to Virginia Beach,” says John Mazzoni, president of The Art Institutes.  “We see our expansion in the Virginia Beach community as a great opportunity to provide an inspiring environment to a new, creative class of students, while preparing them well to enter the workforce.”

Initially, The Art Institute of Virginia Beach will offer bachelor’s degree programs in Advertising, Culinary Arts Management, Fashion & Retail Management, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Photographic Imaging, and Web Design & Interactive Media; and associate’s degree programs in Culinary Arts, Graphic Design, and Web Design & Interactive Media.

“I am excited about the opportunity for The Art Institute of Virginia Beach to provide a career focused, market driven education to the residents of the Hampton Roads communities,” said Marilyn Burstein, newly appointed president of The Art Institute of Virginia Beach.  “Our team is looking forward to educating students, enhancing their professional development, and connecting them with the many fine business and professional organizations in the region.”

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach will join two existing Art Institute schools in the Commonwealth, with locations in Arlington, Va. and Sterling, Va.

For more information about The Art Institute of Virginia Beach, call (877) 437-4428 or visit the school’s website at www.artinstitutes.edu/pr.aspx?ID=ai1001

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach is a branch campus of The Art Institute of Atlanta.  The Art Institute of Atlanta is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate and baccalaureate degrees.   Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404.679.4500 for questions about the accreditation of The Art Institute of Atlanta.

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach is certified by The State Council of Higher Education to operate in Virginia.

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), a system of over 40 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.

CORPORATE MEDIA CONTACT:  Jacquelyn P. Muller, Vice President – Public Relations of Education Management LLC, +1-412-995-7262, Mobile, +1-412-606-9244, jpmuller@edmc.edu; or VIRGINIA BEACH MEDIA CONTACT:  Leila Rice of Seventh Point Public Relations, +1-757-473-8152, Mobile, +1-757-303-6963, lrice@seventhpoint.com

Students Filmmakers Compete to be Named Country’s Funniest College Student & Have their Film Featured in a Microsoft “Share Your Stuff” Promotion
Online Voting and Expert Judging Determines Winner

San Francisco, CA (October 8, 2009) – Rooftop Comedy
(www.RooftopComedy.com), the leading interactive media producer of original comedy content and comedic branded entertainment is accepting submissions for the 3rd annual Rooftop Comedy National College Comedy Competition: Funny Filmmaker Contest and the Microsoft “Share Your Stuff” competition until to October 19th, 2009.

• The 3rd Annual National College Comedy Competition: Funny Film is an effort to identify the nation’s most original and compelling student funny filmmaker. Entries must be five minutes long and submitted at www.RooftopComedy.com/college. Five rounds of expert judging and online voting will narrow the field to the final four contestants who will have their films screened at the 2010 Aspen Rooftop Comedy
Festival where a combination of live and online voting will determine the winner.

• The Microsoft “Share Your Stuff” Competition challenges college filmmakers from across the U.S. to create a funny film that illustrates just how easy it is to manage and share documents with the Microsoft Office Live Workspace. Entries must be no more than 2 minutes long and submitted at www.rooftopcomedy.com/college/shareyourstuff. Along with the chance at having their video used in a new promotional campaign for Microsoft Office Live Workspace, the winner will receive $1,000 cash and have their film screened at the preeminent 2010 Aspen Rooftop Comedy
Festival.

“We are thrilled to be hosting 2 amazing funny film competitions that present such tremendous opportunities for student filmmakers,” said Will C. Rogers, CEO and founder of Rooftop Comedy. “Both of these competitions allow us to fulfill the Rooftop Comedy mission of supporting up-and-coming comedy talent and introducing them to new fans all over the world.”

Both competitions are open to students from every College and University in the United States and scoring will be based on quality of production, originality and comedic wit.

About Rooftop Media, Inc.:
Rooftop Media, Inc. the parent company of Rooftop Comedy, Rooftop Comedy Productions, The Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival and the RooftopComedy.com National College Comedy Competition, is the largest producer of interactive comedy programming and original comedy productions.

Rooftop Media records live comedy performances 365 nights a year from its network of comedy clubs throughout North America, Europe and Australia, distributing original comedy programming to mobile, web, broadcast, and print outlets that include Current TV, Apple iTunes, Yahoo!, Nokia, Hulu, FastCompany Magazine, YouTube, and TiVO. Working with more than 3,500 professional comedians, Rooftop Media maintains a growing video library of tens of thousands of hours of original comedy content. Rooftop Media produces a range of local and national events highlighting its talent discoveries.

# # #
Media Contact:
Loren Pomerantz
212-583-0338 / 917-902-0219
loren@combined-forces.com

Users can share interactive information on HPV anonymously

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A new Facebook application has been launched to help educate, motivate and mobilize people to prevent the spread of Humanpapilloma Virus (HPV). “Fact Check: HPV” (www.hpvfactcheck.org) allows users to take an interactive, educational quiz about HPV, find additional resources, and commit to take action, while even allowing concerned friends to anonymously share the application with peers.

The application was developed by Partnership for Prevention and the University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies with input from the School of Public Health. The project was funded by the Fund to Prevent Cervical Cancer.

“Use of social networking sites has skyrocketed in the last few years, becoming an excellent channel to promote healthy behaviors,” said Robert J. Gould PhD, president of Partnership for Prevention. “Fact Check: HPV will harness the power of social media to increase awareness of this common sexually transmitted disease (STD).”

Use of social networking sites has quadrupled over the last four years from 8 percent in 2005 to over 35 percent in 2008. Over 75% of young adults, age 18-24, have a profile page, the vast majority of whom check it at least weekly.

“Young adults trust information recommended by friends, however, friends are often reticent to share information about stigmatized illnesses such as STDs, mental illnesses, or substance abuse. This project tests a novel strategy that spreads sensitive information through friendship networks, while still retaining anonymity.” said Derek L. Hansen, PhD, Assistant Professor at University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies. “It also helps us learn how the application spreads through the network and identify misperceptions about HPV based on quiz results.”

A recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that one in four adolescent girls between the ages of 14-19, or 3.2 million teen girls, is infected with at least one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases — (HPV, Chlamydia, Herpes, and Trichomoniasis). This study sheds new light on a chronic problem among adolescents in the United States — one that often receives little attention, in part, due to the sensitive nature of the topic.

STDs can result in serious health consequences when left untreated, including cervical cancer and infertility, and cost the U.S. health care system millions of dollars in medical expenses.

Partnership for Prevention is a membership organization of business, nonprofit and government leaders working to make evidence-based disease prevention and health promotion a national priority. More information is available at www.prevent.org.

CONTACT:  Damon Thompson of Partnership for Prevention, +1-202-833-2009, dthompson@prevent.org