Evergreen Student Alex Becker is a Top 50 Students In Service Award Semifinalist

Washington Campus Compact and Inspireum Announce Alex Becker from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington as a Top 50 Students In Service Award Semifinalist

Vote for the most outstanding college student civic leaders who will win $25,000 in scholarships and grants

Bellingham, WA – February 15, 2011 - Washington Campus Compact and Inspireum announced today the top 50 semifinalists for the Students In Service Awards, recognizing outstanding college students whose volunteer service positively impacts society and inspires others to serve. Alex Becker from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington has been selected as a semifinalist for his work documenting homelessness.

Alex worked with Real Change News, a nonprofit in Seattle, Washington, to produce a collaborative film that highlights the voices of eight homeless and low-income street newspaper vendors. These vendors sold the film, entitled “Turning Points,” for a profit, distributing over 2,000 copies and earning over $12,000. “Interviewing these homeless individuals has opened my eyes to the world around me and inspired me to continue working for social justice,” wrote Alex. “Most of all, it has taught me how to listen. I plan to attend law school and go into public interest law to continue to fight for (and with) those whose voices are too often marginalized in our society.”

Voting Still Open

Students, educators, family members, and other community members are invited to show support by voting for their favorite student and service project through March 3rd, 2011. A national selection committee of esteemed civic leaders will select the winner and runner-up. The committee includes Dr. Rick Battistoni, Professor of Political Science and Public and Community Service Studies at Providence College, Dr. Andrew Furco, Associate Vice President for Public Engagement and Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Policy and Administration at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Kerri Heffernan, Director of Faculty Engagement at the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University, and Dr. Gail Robinson, Director of Service-Learning at the American Association for Community Colleges. The “fan favorite” will be determined purely by supporter vote at www.serviceawards.org. Scholarship recipients and their service projects will be recognized at the 14th Annual Continuums of Service Conference, a nationally recognized service and civic engagement conference in San Diego, CA, on April 28, 2011.

Scholarships and grants totaling $25,000 will be awarded to three category benefactors. The winner will receive a $5,000 academic scholarship, and a runner-up and “fan favorite” will each receive a $2,500 scholarship. In addition, the service-learning centers at the university of each student will receive a $2,500 grant to support civic engagement programs. Additionally, $2,500 grants will be awarded to the nonprofit organizations sponsoring the winning service projects for the purpose of supporting their vital community programs.

“We hope these stories, images and videos are shared at dinner tables across the country, and enlighten students of all ages about the transformational power of service - both for the student, and for those they serve,” said Tom Lindeman, President of Inspireum LLC. “Our program applicants have shown us how service can teach valuable lifelong leadership, problem solving and empathy skills. Through these awards, we hope to motivate more college students to engage in service as an opportunity to build character and positively impact social and environmental challenges around the world.”

About Washington Campus Compact

Established in 1992 and hosted at Western Washington University, Washington Campus Compact and its membership of 41 two- and four-year colleges and universities are committed to providing meaningful experiences for students to become active, engaged leaders in their communities, furthering the civic and public purposes of higher education and strengthening communities. Washington Campus Compact is an affiliate state office of Campus Compact, a national organization comprised of more than 1,100 higher education institutions committed to the civic and public purposes of higher education.

Press Contact: Brian Heinrich – Washington Campus Compact / 360-650-4147 / brian.heinrich@wwu.edu

About Insperium

Inspireum provides a comprehensive technology and media platform that helps organizations recognize and reward inspirational young people in America. Inspireum utilizes proprietary platform technology, hosted services and social media to create a comprehensive nomination, voting and donation platform that powers inspirational youth awards, scholarships and fund raising programs. In addition to the Students in Service Awards™, Inspireum in partnership with Trusted Sports, Inc. manages the High School Football Rudy Awards™ honoring athletes who have overcome tremendous obstacles to not only find success on the field, but also serve as an inspiration to others. This scholarship awards program looks beyond traditional athletic performance measures to reward team-oriented values and inspirational impact that help youth succeed throughout life.

Press Contact: Kim Solem – Inspireum LLC / 206-227-2604 / kim_solem@msn.com