Ernst & Young Announces Winners of 2010 Your World, Your Vision Campus Competition

NEW YORK, March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP today announced the three winning teams for its 2010 Your World, Your Vision campus competition. The competition invites students to develop and submit proposals for programs designed to make a difference in their communities in one of three areas — education, entrepreneurship, or the environment — the same areas of focus for Ernst & Young LLP's corporate responsibility efforts.

The three winning teams for this competition, which attracted entries from more than 60 colleges and universities, are from the University of Calgary, the University of Illinois, and the University of Maryland, College Park. Each team will receive $10,000 from Ernst & Young LLP to implement their program.

"Ernst & Young wants students to understand that our firm is interested in more than just their professional skills. Giving back to local communities is a core value for our people and Your World, Your Vision helps us connect with college students in a way that is meaningful to them and to us," said Dan Black, Director of Campus Recruiting for Ernst & Young LLP. "We are proud of the success of last year's Your World, Your Vision winners, and the exciting things they're doing to strengthen their communities. We look forward to funding this year's winning programs and seeing the impact these talented students will have."

The idea, approach and title of the community programs for this competition were left up to the students. Students from each campus are asked to work as a group to submit creative programs that would have an impact in their communities — on campus, in a nearby town or city, or in a virtual community — and can be broad enough to affect those on a national or global level. An Ernst & Young LLP advisor worked with the teams throughout the challenge, offering advice, insight and other tips.

A panel of firm leaders evaluated all submissions to select the three winning programs, based on the impact the proposed programs will have on the community, the creativity of the proposal, and the way it is communicated. Here's an overview of the winning entries:

University of Calgary

Team Members:  Simran Dhatt, Jason Ho, Michael Ho, Naz Keshavarzian, Michael Lam, Catherine Lawless, Jonathan Lercher, Crystal Li, Danielle Lueers , Annie Ly, Nick Makarov, Chelsea Mitchell, Lisa Mody, Daniela Montgomery, Tim Young

Winning Program: EntrepreLEARN

EntrepreLEARN is a program intended to teach high school students about entrepreneurship and conducting business in an environmentally friendly way. After sessions on the basics of entrepreneurship, students will develop their own business idea, market it to their classmates and community, and compete for a chance to win a "Day in the life of a CA (Chartered Accountant)" opportunity in the EY Calgary office.  The program seeks to empower tomorrow's business leaders and also generate interest in the accounting profession.

University of Illinois

Team Members: Cameron Blaydes, Erin Harper, Steven Heiss, Sibel Leblebici, Victoria Ngo-Lam, Diana Rechenmacher, Jonathan Weisman

Winning Program:  Sun, Dirt, Rain, and Champaign

Students at the University of Illinois have developed a plan to create a community garden in a low-income neighborhood where residents can rent plots of land to grow their own food, learn about gardening, and improve the ecology and value of the community. The garden will also be used for hands-on learning for students at nearby elementary schools. This program has already earned the support of civic leaders in the Champaign Park District, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and First Lady Michelle Obama.

University of Maryland, College Park

Team Members: Efe Gboneme, Young Lee, Rachael Madekagbu, Isimemen Ojeabulu, Morolake Oladapo, Ibironke (Tina) Olayimika

Winning Program:  Project E.N.V.O.G.U.E—Educating, Nurturing, and Valuing Our Girls: Uplift and Empower

Targeting 15-18 year old African-American girls in the Washington, DC metro area, the University of Maryland-College Park team is building an online vintage clothing store to teach the girls about entrepreneurship first-hand.  Participants will be directly involved in developing the start-up and will be learning through financial seminars, excursions and one-on-one mentoring. They will also be assisted with college and scholarship applications. Project E.N.V.O.G.U.E. seeks to connect with underserved girls and empower them to become future business leaders.

Winners of last year's Your World, Your Vision competition have already made great strides towards realizing their visions. Highlights of progress include:

University of Minnesota 2009 winners have been working toward establishing a teen-run snack and apparel shop that will employ at-risk youth, and serve as a gathering place for positive after school programs. This organization, The A-list, has secured additional corporate and city funding, which has allowed for the use of a 7,000 square foot location for the shop that is expected to open this fall.  

University of Calgary 2009 winners have been working, planning, and preparing for planting day at their community naturalization garden in an underserved community in Northeast Calgary. The soccer field-sized garden will be comprised of plants native to Calgary. The organization, Rundle Community Roots, expects to break ground this spring.

University of Southern California 2009 winners established ProPEL, an on-campus student organization that is designed to empower high school students to plan for a long-term, fulfilling and successful career. ProPEL has hosted a number of seminars, including one on applying for financial aid and scholarships, and has kicked-off a one-on-one weekly mentoring program.

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SOURCE Ernst & Young LLP