Top Youth Volunteers in Each State Selected in National Awards Program; 104 Student Volunteers Earn $1,000 Awards, Silver Medallions and Trip to Nation's Capital.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- America's 104 most outstanding youth volunteers -- two from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico -- were named State Honorees today by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for exemplary acts of volunteerism. The awards program, now in its ninth year, is conducted by Prudential Financial, Inc. in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

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Each of the 104 State Honorees will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in May for several days of national recognition events. Ten of them will be named America's top youth volunteers for 2004 at that time. More than 20,000 high school and middle level students across the country submitted applications for this year's program.

In addition to the State Honorees, the program's judges recognized 236 students nationwide as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion. Approximately 780 other applicants were awarded Certificates of Excellence for their volunteer work. (See attached list of State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists.)

Several of this year's State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists are being honored for projects that provided support and encouragement to American troops serving in Iraq and elsewhere. Others are being recognized for giving aid and comfort to the sick, disabled or disadvantaged; tutoring or mentoring younger children; reaching out to senior citizens; promoting health and safety; protecting the environment; or serving their communities in other ways. Information on all of their volunteer activities can be found at http://www.prudential.com/spirit or at http://www.principals.org/awards/prudential.cfm.

"People as caring and committed as these young students are critical to the future of our neighborhoods, our cities and our nation," said Arthur F. Ryan, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. "By recognizing these honorees, we hope to encourage other young people -- our future leaders -- and all Americans to think more about the value and importance of volunteering in their communities."

"We are proud to recognize the commitment these young people have shown to their schools and communities," said Gerald N. Tirozzi, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. "Their dedication and selflessness is testament to the kind of young people in our nation's schools."

All public and private middle level and high schools in the U.S., as well as all Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs, Camp Fire USA councils and Volunteer Centers, were eligible to select a student or member for a local Prudential Spirit of Community Award this past November. Local Honorees were then reviewed by state-level judges, who selected State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists based on criteria such as personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact and personal growth.

On May 3, 2004, ten of the 104 State Honorees -- five middle level and five high school students -- will be named National Honorees by a prestigious national selection committee and receive an additional $5,000, a gold medallion, and a crystal trophy. In addition, the ten National Honorees will have a total of $250,000 in children's products donated in their names to needy children in their communities by Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc., the national charity of the children's apparel and products industry.

The national selection committee includes Ryan of Prudential Financial; actor Richard Dreyfuss; Robert Goodwin, President and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation; Peter Gallagher, President and CEO of America's Promise; Amy B. Cohen, Director of Learn and Serve America at the Corporation for National Service; Marsha Johnson Evans, President of the American Red Cross; Kathy Cloninger, National Executive Director of Girl Scouts of the USA; Donald T. Floyd Jr., President and CEO of the National 4-H Council; Janice Weinman, President of Kids In Distressed Situations, Inc.; Ken Gladish, National Executive Director of YMCA of the USA; and Cindy Rudrud, President of NASSP. Also serving on the committee are two 2003 Prudential Spirit of Community National Honorees, Laura Greer of Miami, Fla., and Christepher Romero of Phoenix, Ariz.

In addition to the organizations listed above, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards are supported by the American Association of School Administrators, National Middle School Association, National School Boards Association, Council…