UNCF Empower Me Tour Presented By Wells Fargo Kicks Off During AT&T Nation's Football Classic Weekend in Washington D.C.

Inspiring youth to excel in academic, financial and personal responsibility targeting middle school, high school students and their parents and college students

Washington, Sept. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The UNCF Empower Me Tour, a free traveling career-and college-readiness road show, will kick off its 2011-2012 Tour on Friday, September 9, 2011, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center during the AT&T Nation's Football Classic Weekend in Washington, D.C.   The Empower Me Tour was created by UNCF (United Negro College Fund), the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization, in partnership with Wells Fargo. The 2011-2012 UNCF Empower Me Tour will be hosted by actor Brian White of the upcoming films Good Deeds and Cabin in the Woods, international singer Kenny Lattimore, and Monique Jackson and Kita Williams, Executive Producers of VH1's "The T.O. Show."

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101110/UNCFLOGO)

Joining this year's celebrity hosts in Washington, D.C., are Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Ledisi, celebrity chef DAS, blogger Necole Kane, music executive Amir Windom, Telemundo-ZGS Station Group President Julissa Marenco, Paul Quinn College President Michael J. Sorrell, singer Dylan Allen, singer Jacob Latimore and others.  Participating middle school, high school and college students will experience a day of interactive exhibits, college and career workshops, and engaging panel discussions with special guests.  

"Students who attend the UNCF Empower Me Tour learn about financial literacy, college and career readiness and community service from experts and performers who speak their language," said Michael L. Lomax Ph.D., UNCF president and CEO. "UNCF is excited to partner with Wells Fargo to help students build the strong foundation they need for successful, secure, financial futures. It is part of our mission of ensuring that every child gets a good education from pre-school through college empowering them to become the next generation of good citizens and effective leaders."  

"Wells Fargo believes everyone deserves access to high-quality and affordable education. It's one of the most important ways we can help our communities become economically self-sufficient," said Gigi Dixon, senior vice president, director of national partnerships for Wells Fargo. "We are proud to sponsor this year's UNCF Empower Me Tour, which will provide our young people with information, tools and resources to help them make smart and informed decisions about their future education."

Now in its fourth year, the UNCF Empower Me Tour, will visit nine major cities across the country including Washington, D.C. (September 9), Detroit, Michigan (September 17), Minneapolis, Minnesota (October 8), New York, New York (October 22), Boston, Massachusetts (November 5), Kansas City, Missouri, (November 19), Miami, Florida, (February 3), San Francisco, California (February 18), and Los Angeles, California (February 25).  Attendees will participate in informative workshops, panel discussions and the Empower Me Tour Zone - an interactive experience for students, parents and educators providing an opportunity to interact with college recruiters, receive a professional resume review, learn about scholarship and internship opportunities, receive information about healthy cooking and disease prevention from our resident celebrity chef, experience an authentic Greek stroll, listen to the celebrity DJ spin, games, prizes and more.    

"I'm truly honored to participate in the UNCF Empower Me Tour presented by Wells Fargo," said Kenny Lattimore.  "The information that we will share will not only help to build and strengthen communities, it will encourage accountability and integrity amongst the young men and enable them to find balance in life and define a vision for their future. What a great head start."

Sponsors and Education Partners include:

Presenting Sponsor, Wells Fargo; Major Sponsors: McDonald's, Procter & Gamble and Marathon Oil Company; Workshop Sponsor: the U.S. Army.  

Education Partners: INROADS, Education Is Freedom, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the Asian & Pacific-Islander American Scholarship fund and Teach For America.  For more information on the tour and to register for FREE, visit www.EmpowerMeTour.org.

About UNCF
UNCF—the United Negro College Fund—is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization.  To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students' education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 38 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education.  UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 21 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."® Learn more at www.UNCF.org

About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.3 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, the Internet (wellsfargo.com and wachovia.com), and other distribution channels across North America and internationally. With approximately 275,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in America.  Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 23 on Fortune's 2011 rankings of America's largest corporations. Wells Fargo's vision is to satisfy all our customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially.  

SOURCE United Negro College Fund