Bezos Scholars Program @ The Aspen Institute Announces 2013 Scholars

SEATTLE, May 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bezos Scholars Program @ the Aspen Institute today announced the selection of the 2013 Bezos Scholars. This leadership development program brings together 12 of the nation's top public high school juniors and 12 exceptional educators for an all-expenses-paid week of exploration, dialogue and debate at the Aspen Ideas Festival, June 25 – July 1. And for the third consecutive year, in the spirit of global citizenship and collective action, the Bezos Scholars Program will include five outstanding students and an educator from the African Leadership Academy in South Africa.

In Aspen, Bezos Scholars will connect with visionaries from around the globe—international leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs and creative artists across diverse disciplines—and engage in lectures, presentations, debates and discussions around critical issues. Surrounded by the stunning Rocky Mountains of Colorado, past Scholars shared meals and intimate roundtable discussions with Twitter co-founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Admiral Mike Mullen, musician Moby and New York Times columnist David Brooks, among many others. 

"Bezos Scholars—both Students and Educators—are a powerful presence on the Aspen Institute campus," says Kitty Boone, vice president of public programs at the Aspen Institute. "Young people bring uncommon curiosity, passion for learning and fearless questions that enhance the dialogue."

Following the Aspen Ideas Festival, this yearlong leadership development program continues as Scholars return home with the inspiration, relationships and tools to create Local Ideas Festivals on an issue of relevance in their own hometowns. Since 2005, Bezos Scholars have launched more than 100 Local Ideas Festivals across the U.S. and in South Africa to tackle a range of issues—from increasing healthier food options, to fighting poverty, to leading environmental clean-up projects, to increasing digital literacy, and more. 

"The Aspen Ideas Festival is electrifying, and young people and educators are uniquely poised to act upon what they learn there," says Jackie Bezos, president of the Bezos Family Foundation. "Bezos Scholar Teams return home to co-create Local Ideas Festivals that transform schools and communities across the U.S. and South Africa."

2013 BEZOS SCHOLARS AT THE ASPEN INSTITUTE

• Anna Katz and Educator Lauren Keener, Shaker Heights High School, Shaker Heights, OH
• Carlos Flores and Educator Nico Loeff, Whittier High School, Whittier, CA
• Courtney Hauck and Educator Jill O'Neill, International School of Beaverton, Beaverton, OR
• Damani Eubanks and Educator Lisza Morton, Charles Herbert Flowers High School, Mitchellville, MD
• Eleanor Fadely and Educator Pattie Sloan, West Salem High School, Salem, OR
• Elizabeth Chung and Educator Janice Morton, Cleveland High School, Seattle, WA
• Jessica Garda and Educator Lisa Hartman, Benjamin Franklin High School, New Orleans, LA
• Joseph Dobson and Educator Corey Alderdice, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, Hot Springs, AR
• Marshal Landrum and Educator Kathryn Kahn, Como Park Senior High School, St. Paul, MN
• Montita Sowapark and Educator Stefanie Gross, Boca Raton High School, Boca Raton, FL
• Natali Espitia and Educator Elyse Catoe, Atascocita High School, Humble, TX
• Oscar Lee and Educator Adam Gold, Highland Park High School, Highland Park, NJ

Bezos Scholars from the African Leadership Academy in South Africa

• Gift Pola Kiti, Kenya
• Ntemena Kapula, Zambia
• Omolemo Josephine Matloga, Nigeria
• Oumar Ba, Senegal
• Solomon Nii Martey, Ghana
• Educator Scholar Josh Adler, South Africa

To learn more about the Bezos Scholars Program @ the Aspen Institute visit: www.BezosFamilyFoundation.org/Scholars. For up to date information and to join the conversation, visit us on Facebook (Facebook.com/bspaspen) and Twitter (@BezosScholars  #2013BezosScholars).

High-resolution photos and video available.

SOURCE Bezos Scholars Program