HughesNet and National 4-H Council Named a 2017 Halo Award Finalist for the Second Year in a Row

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Partnership Moves to Next Level in Education Category

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Mar 28, 2017, 09:00 ET

GERMANTOWN, Md., March 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- HughesNet^®, America's #1 choice for satellite Internet service from Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), and National 4-H Council today announced their STEM partnership has been named a Finalist for the prestigious Cause Marketing Halo Award in the Education category. The HughesNet/4-H partnership was also a Halo award finalist in 2016.

Since 2014, the HughesNet and National 4-H Council partnership has supported STEM education through local, regional and national campaigns and hands-on events. The partnership has exposed more than 100,000 American youth to hands-on, community-based STEM learning, encouraging them to consider STEM as a career option.

"Each year, as corporate social initiatives get more sophisticated, we receive an increasing number of strong submissions into the Halo Awards. Being named a finalist is an industry honor and demonstrates a level of accomplishment in campaigns that combine purpose and profit," said Engage for Good President David Hessekiel.

Together, HughesNet and 4-H have teamed up on several national programs to spark interest in STEM. Among them was National Youth Science Day (NYSD), the world's largest youth-led science experiment. Additional programs included "Summer Camp STEM Experiences" at several local 4-H camps, "Inspire a Future Scientist" online video contest and programs for National Engineering Week.

"We are thrilled to see our partnership with HughesNet be recognized as a Halo finalist for cause marketing," said Jennifer Sirangelo, President and CEO of National 4-H Council. "For three years, HughesNet has supported us in delivering high quality STEM programming that has helped thousands of young people build skills, develop passions and discover career paths they never imagined. Making this kind of impact on young people is truly what cause marketing is all about."

"It's an honor to once again be recognized as a Halo Award finalist with our partner 4-H, which has been one of America's greatest youth development organizations for generations," said Peter Gulla, senior vice president of marketing, Hughes Network Systems. "Nearly 3 million STEM jobs will be created in just four years, yet only 16 percent of American high school seniors are considering STEM careers. We're proud to work with 4-H to inspire the next generation of leaders by bringing hands-on STEM learning to thousands of youth in communities all across the U.S. Not only is it important for the development of our youth, but it's also important for our country's future."

The Halo Awards are North America's highest honor for corporate social initiatives and cause marketing and presented by Engage for Good (formerly Cause Marketing Forum). 2017 marks the 15th year that Engage for Good will honor businesses and nonprofits with Halos for doing well by doing good.

A total of 20 category awards will be given out to programs judged the best cause marketing campaigns of 2016 at the 15th Annual Engage for Good conference in Chicago on June 1, 2017.

A list of the Cause Marketing Halo Award finalists can be seen at www.engageforgood.com/halo-awards.

About 4-H
4-H, the nation's largest youth development organization, grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for career tomorrow. 4-H programs empower nearly six million young people across the U.S. through experiences that develop critical life skills. 4-H is the youth development program of our nation's Cooperative Extension System and USDA, and serves every county and parish in the U.S. through a network of 110 public universities and more than 3,000 local Extension offices. Globally, 4-H collaborates with independent programs to empower one million youth in 50 countries. The research-backed 4-H experience grows young people who are four times more likely to contribute to their communities; two times more likely to make healthier choices; two times more likely to be civically active; and two times more likely to participate in STEM programs.

Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4-H and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/4H.

About Hughes Network Systems
Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) is the global leader in broadband satellite technology and services for home and office. Its flagship high-speed satellite Internet service is HughesNet®, the world's largest satellite network with over 1 million residential and business customers across North America and Brazil. For large enterprises and governments, the company's HughesON® managed network services provide complete connectivity solutions employing an optimized mix of satellite and terrestrial technologies. The JUPITER™ System is the world's most widely deployed High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) platform, operating on more than 20 satellites by leading service providers, delivering a wide range of broadband enterprise, mobility and cellular backhaul applications. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 5.5 million terminals to customers in over 100 countries, representing approximately 50 percent market share, and its technology is powering broadband services to aircraft around the world.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes operates sales and support offices worldwide, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), a premier global provider of satellite operations. For additional information about Hughes, please visit www.hughes.com and follow @Hughes_Corp on Twitter.

SOURCE Hughes Network Systems, LLC