Aiken Takes Message of 'Education for All' Center Stage

    NEW YORK, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, multi-platinum artist Clay Aiken
 became a National Ambassador for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.  A budding
 philanthropist and long time education advocate, Mr. Aiken will use his
 Ambassador status to help ensure that children everywhere are afforded a
 primary education.
     "Education is the best investment any society can make for the health and
 well-being of its children," said Charles J. Lyons, president of the U.S. Fund
 for UNICEF.  "Clay Aiken, like all of our National Ambassadors, was chosen
 based on his compassion and deep commitment to helping children around the
 world.  We're very pleased to have him join the UNICEF family."
     Long before his current singing career, Clay Aiken's life ambition was to
 work with individuals living with disabilities.  Mr. Aiken intended to pursue
 a career in special education.  Although his time and energy has turned toward
 the music industry, he remains passionate about assisting individuals with
 developmental delays, specifically children, to live full lives in the real
 world.
     There are currently 121 million children not in school around the world.
 Ensuring that all children everywhere are given the opportunity for a solid
 education is one of UNICEF's highest priorities.  Universally, education is
 the number one conduit for children's health, wellbeing and longevity.  It
 also helps transform villages, communities, and nations, ultimately leading
 the world towards greater health, prosperity and stability.
     Within the umbrella of education, UNICEF supports programs that train
 teachers, fortifies teaching curriculums, delivers school supplies; create
 emergency schools in conflict zones and emergency settings, and uses education
 to help prevent the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS.
     "Everyone deserves the best start in life, which is what UNICEF is working
 to provide the world's most vulnerable children," said Aiken who is a native
 of Raleigh, North Carolina.  "Education is essential to a child's development.
 I hope that as an Ambassador I can encourage people to join UNICEF's mission
 to make education a reality for children throughout the world."
     Since his ascendancy on America's Pop Charts over a year ago, Mr. Aiken
 has founded his own foundation, the Bubel/Aiken Foundation.  It will provide
 grants and other one-on-one services to individuals living with disabilities
 so that they may participate in programs and work environments that are
 normally designed for persons without disabilities.  The foundation will
 encourage and facilitate community inclusion and the empowerment of
 individuals with disabilities.
 
     ABOUT UNICEF
     Founded in 1946, UNICEF helps save, protect and improve the lives of
 children around the world through immunization, education, health care,
 nutrition, clean water and sanitation.  UNICEF is non-partisan and its
 cooperation is free of discrimination.  In everything it does, the most
 disadvantaged children and the countries in greatest need have priority.  For
 more information, please visit http://www.unicefusa.org or call 1-800-4UNICEF.
 
     ABOUT THE BUBEL/AIKEN FOUNDATION
     The mission of The Bubel/Aiken Foundation is to provide services and
 financial assistance to facilitate fully the integration of children with
 disabilities into the life environment of those without.  The Foundation will
 create awareness about the diversity of individuals with disabilities and the
 possibilities inclusion can bring.  Through collaborations with the
 disability, education, entertainment, and media communities, the Foundation
 will recognize those whose commitment to breaking the stereotypes attendant to
 the developmentally disabled has broken barriers and extended the boundaries
 of the human experience for all.
 
 

SOURCE  U.S. Fund for UNICEF