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 Ten to be Named America's Top Youth Volunteers of the Year in May

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- America's 104 most outstanding youth volunteers -- two from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico -- today were named State Honorees by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for exemplary acts of volunteerism. The awards program, now in its eighth 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 2003 at that time. More than 24,000 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 230 students nationwide as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion. Approximately 800 other applicants were awarded Certificates of Excellence for their volunteer work as well. (See attached list of State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists.)

As in the past, many of this year's State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists are being honored for providing aid and comfort to the sick, disabled or disadvantaged. Others are being recognized for tutoring or mentoring younger children, reaching out to senior citizens, promoting health and safety, battling intolerance, protecting the environment, or serving their communities in other ways. Information on the volunteer activities of all State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists can be found at http://www.prudential.com/community/spirit or at http://www.principals.org/awards/prudential.cfm.

"The recipients of these awards vividly demonstrate that young people across America are making amazing contributions to the health and vitality of their communities," said Art Ryan, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. "They truly deserve all of the praise and encouragement we can give them."

"The dedication, talent, and capacity of giving demonstrated by these students is truly remarkable," said Gerald Tirozzi, executive director of NASSP. "We applaud their character and hope that their actions will inspire their peers to work to improve their communities and help others in need."

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 5, 2003, 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; actors Richard Dreyfuss and Roma Downey; 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; Jackie Barnes, Interim National Executive Director of Girl Scouts of the USA; Donald T. Floyd Jr., President and CEO of the National 4-H Council; Mark Gelber, President of Kids In Distressed Situations, Inc.; Ken Gladish, National Executive Director of YMCA of the USA; Stewart Smith, National…