Ernst & Young LLP Names Winners of Its 2011 Your World, Your Vision Campus Competition From Baruch College, University of Georgia, and University of Illinois

NEW YORK, April 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP today announced the three winning teams of its 2011 Your World, Your Vision campus competition: the teams are from Baruch College, University of Georgia, and University of Illinois. Each of the winning teams will receive $10,000 from Ernst & Young to implement the program that they designed to make a difference in their local community.

Now in its third year, the competition invites students to develop and submit proposals for programs designed to make a difference in their communities in one or more of the following  areas — education, entrepreneurship, or the environment — the areas of focus that are also central to Ernst & Young LLP's corporate responsibility efforts. The competition attracted entries from teams at more than 40 colleges and universities nationwide.

"We congratulate these winning teams on developing innovative ways to make a difference in their communities, and are pleased to help them bring their plans to fruition," said Dan Black, Director of Campus Recruiting for Ernst & Young LLP. "Giving back to local communities is engrained in our culture at Ernst & Young LLP and we are thrilled that so many college students have embraced this mission through our Your World, Your Vision competition."

The competition challenges students to submit creative programs that would positively impact their communities — on campus, in a nearby town or city, or in a virtual community. The programs could also be broad enough to affect those on a national or global level. In addition to developing an idea, students are tasked with devising an implementation approach, budget, and a timeline for the community programs. An Ernst & Young LLP advisor works with each of the teams throughout the challenge, offering advice and insight.

Winners are selected by a panel of Ernst & Young LLP leaders, who evaluate the submissions based on the impact the proposed programs will have on the community, the creativity of the proposals, and the way the programs are presented.

This year's winners developed plans to advance causes for community members ranging from elementary school children to homeless young adults. An overview of the winning entries follows:

• University of Georgia team: The program focuses on deepening University of Georgia student involvement with the Garnett Ridge Boys and Girls Club, which serves a predominantly Hispanic low-income community near the university. The team plans to further this relationship by developing a community-wide recycling plan, expanding learning opportunities offered to participants, covering up gang-related graffiti in the neighborhood, and creating a soccer league. Team Members:  Katie Brown, Steve Cho, James Collins, Patrick Fitzmaurice, David Gorvy, Meredith Hightower, David Jett, Maxwell Mitchell, Muizz Mullani, Brittany Scrudder, Haley Snyder, and Emily Weinstein.

• University of Illinois team: Students from the University of Illinois developed a plan to conduct cooking classes at local elementary schools near the university.  These hands-on classes will teach elementary school students how to cook and expose them to environmental sustainability, healthy eating, project planning through the creation of a cookbook, and entrepreneurship through the sale of that cookbook. The program emphasizes the importance of health and nutrition, as well as professionalism and teamwork. Team Members: Sarah Ashida, Erin Duber, Kate Hansell, Alana Moore, Kim Nelson, Jeanette Panfil, Nisha Saboo ,and Shannon Woods.

• Baruch College team: The team developed an eight-week educational program aimed at empowering young adults living in Covenant House, a homeless shelter for 18-21 year olds, to help them achieve aspirations for higher education. The program includes seminars covering goal setting, college entrance exam preparation, college tours, completing applications, and finding scholarships; seminars will also feature motivational speakers. Team Members: Matthew Connelly, Joseph Han, Linda Haviv, Doris Hu, Kyuchang Jung, Maria Kamenetskaya, Matthew Law, Hannah Lee, Tiffany Wong, and Yeena Wu.

Winners of last year's Your World, Your Vision competition have already made great strides toward fulfilling their visions. Among last year's winners is a team from the University of Illinois that has been working with community leaders and neighbors to build a community garden in a local low-income neighborhood. On April 16 and April 23, 2011, the team will host Work Days where students and other volunteers will spend the day building new gardens, in addition to the gardens they built last summer. This program has earned the support of civic leaders in the Champaign Park District, including Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, and First Lady Michelle Obama.

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SOURCE Ernst & Young LLP