Laureate Education Announces 2014 Here for Good Award Winners

BALTIMORE, July 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Two architecture graduates of Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), Ana Loayza and Mauricio Gilbonio, received Laureate Education, Inc.'s Here for Good Award. Loayza, 24, and Gilbonio, 26, were chosen from an international pool of nominees for the award, which honors students, graduates and faculty members of Laureate universities who have created or are leading projects that drive social and economic progress in their countries.

Loayza and Gilbonio are cofounders of PER, an architecture firm based in Lima, Peru, that focuses on environmentally sustainable projects. They received the 2014 Here for Good Award because of their work in developing Project Puno. Each winter in the rural Puno region of Peru, hundreds of people become gravely ill while living in poorly insulated mud huts. Project Puno addresses that problem by building adobe homes equipped with greenhouses that provide heat. The greenhouses also enable residents to grow fresh fruit and vegetables year-round, thus improving diets that once consisted mainly of meat. Each home is equipped with showers, and costs about USD $1,000 to build.

The award is named for the goal of each Laureate university which is to be "Here for Good," both in terms of permanence and purpose. Since 2012, Laureate's Here for Good initiative has supported Laureate students and graduates who have created projects that foster social and economic progress. This year, the initiative was expanded to include Laureate faculty members.

Fifteen people from every corner of the world were chosen for this year's awards. Their projects, which offer potential solutions to some of the biggest challenges of our time, include urban farming, empowering Pakistani women and saving Costa Rica's forests. The winners are featured in a book and website, and in the coming months will be honored by their institutions. The global Here for Good Award winners, Loayza and Gilbonio, are featured in a documentary video.

"This award is emblematic of Laureate's commitment to helping students and societies," said Bill Clinton, 42^nd president of the United States. "The outstanding work of these young people is a testament to their spirit and capacity, and the excellent values oriented education they received at their Laureate affiliated university."

"Ana, Mauricio and all of the people in this year's Here for Good project represent the best attributes of the Laureate university network," said Douglas L. Becker, chairman and chief executive officer of Laureate Education, Inc. "I'm proud to share these stories, and am excited to watch for other great contributions in the future from these passionate and caring young leaders."

The 2014 Here for Good Award Winners:

About Laureate Education, Inc.
Laureate Education is the world's leading higher education provider. Laureate's more than 75 universities educate over 850,000 students in 29 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Laureate's universities offer undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs in fields such as architecture, business, engineering, hospitality management, law and medicine. In 2014, the Laureate network is celebrating its 15^th anniversary. To learn more, visit www.laureate.net.

About Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas
Founded in 1994, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas is one of Peru's leading private universities. It enrolls more than 38,000 students in undergraduate and graduate degree programs in architecture, communications, economics, education, engineering, health sciences and medicine. In 2013, UPC's first graduating medical school class was ranked among the best in Peru. UPC also is recognized as one of Peru's top 10 research universities. It sponsors Premio Protagonistas del Cambio UPC, a program that supports social entrepreneurs, in partnership with the International Youth Foundation and the Sylvan/Laureate Foundation.

SOURCE Laureate Education, Inc.