[Youth-list] National Vocabulary Championship

[Barb Nangle]

'NATIONAL VOCABULARY CHAMPIONSHIP'


Fifty Top High School Qualifiers Compete for $40,000 Toward College Tuition
in Inaugural National Vocabulary Championship 


(Pasadena, CA) - Friday, January 12, 2007 - GSN, the leading interactive
game television network, has announced the final competition date of the
NATIONAL VOCABULARY CHAMPIONSHIP (NVC). The Finals will feature 50 of the
nation's top high school vocabulary students competing for $40,000 toward
higher education. The National Vocabulary Championship will be held in New
York City at the New York Public Library Monday, March 5, 2007 from 1:00 to
4:00 PM ET. The event will be broadcast as a one-hour special Sunday, April
15 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on GSN. 

The NVC, which launched in September 2006, is a pro-social educational
initiative conceived by GSN to emphasize the importance of language arts
skills and encourage high school students to enhance their vocabularies. In
total, over 30,000 students nationwide participated in this inaugural year
of the program. GSN has already awarded over $50,000 in tuition and grant
monies to students and their schools, and will ultimately award over
$100,000 through the program. 

In the finals, 50 high school students, who qualified through citywide
competitions or regional exams offered nationwide, will attempt to navigate
three challenging rounds of vocabulary calisthenics. The NVC does not have a
spelling element, but rewards contestants for comprehension ability. The
last one standing at the end of game play will be crowned 'National
Vocabulary Champion 2007.' 

Dena Kaplan, GSN's Senior Vice President of Marketing, who conceived the NVC
concept said: "Our vision is to make the NVC a cultural phenomenon. The NVC
has been overwhelmingly embraced by a cadre of higher education officials,
educators, politicians, celebrities, advertisers, teachers, parents and most
importantly, students. We believe that this heartfelt competition has all of
the natural ingredients for compelling television. " 

"Vocabulary is highly relevant in the game of life, and GSN is committed to
helping educators across the country raise awareness of the importance of
language arts in the classroom," added Rich Cronin, President and CEO, GSN.
"We're told by teachers and parents that students who didn't qualify for
this year's final are already preparing for next year, so the NVC has
already made a difference."

The NVC has received support from such leaders as Russ Carnahan, U.S.
Representative (3rd District-MO); John F. Street, Mayor of Philadelphia;
Luke Ravenstahl, Mayor of Pittsburgh; Lois Frankel, Mayor of West Palm
Beach; Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President, along with numerous City
Council members, education groups such as the National Education
Association, and cable operators Comcast, Time Warner, Charter, and
Cablevision's Power to Learn. The program is also supported by sponsors
Neutrogena, Mead/Five Star, and Sharpie. Educational partner The Princeton
Review has provided the content for the NVC, and internet travel source
Orbitz will provide roundtrip airfare to and from New York for the
contestants and their guests.

A complete list of the 50 finalists follows, including name, age, school,
city and state. All media are invited to cover the live event. For further
information or to interview participants, please contact Deborah McBride at
GSN (310.255.6938 or dmcbride at gsn.com). The NVC media credential form can be
downloaded from the NVC website (www.winwithwords.com). It is located in the
press section.

About the "National Vocabulary Championship"
The National Vocabulary Championship (NVC) is a GSN initiative that uses
competition and wordplay to engage and reward high school students,
educators and parents, teaching them the value of a strong vocabulary.
Created with educational partner The Princeton Review, the NVC is open to
eligible high school students in the 50 states and the District of Columbia
and will be promoted in schools and through a national "Win With Words"
Public Service Announcement campaign. In addition, a robust, interactive
website (www.winwithwords.com) offers a variety of free vocabulary-enhancing
tools, word games and study materials. 

About GSN
GSN is the entertainment industry leader in multi-platform interactive game
programs. As the premier television network for games, GSN features
challenging word games, high intensity casino programs, live participation
shows, reality series and documentaries. Complementing the network, GSN.com
features all types of game play: innovative Flash games for fun, skill cash
game tournaments and downloadable games. The website also features GSN's
two-screen interactive play-along for prime time shows. Now reaching more
than 62 million Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S. through all
major cable systems and satellite providers. The network is jointly owned by
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation. For further media
information, visit GSN's press website at corp.gsn.com.

About The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is a pioneer in the world of education. Founded in 1981
and headquartered in New York City, the Company offers private tutoring and
classroom and online test preparation to help students improve their scores
in college and graduate school admissions tests. The Company's free website,
www.PrincetonReview.com, helps over half of university-bound students
research, apply to, prepare for, and learn how to pay for their higher
education, and helps hundreds of colleges and universities streamline their
admissions and recruiting activities. In addition, The Princeton Review
works with school districts around the U.S. to measurably strengthen
students' academic skills by connecting ongoing assessment with professional
development and instruction and by providing districts with college and
career resources for both students and guidance counselors. The Company also
authors more than 200 print and software titles on test preparation, college
and graduate school selection and admissions, and related topics




Barb Nangle, M.A., Program Coordinator
Urban Education & Prevention Research
Yale Dept. of Psychiatry
The Consultation Center
389 Whitney Ave.
New Haven, CT 06511
203-789-7645
fax 203-562-6355
www.TheConsultationCenter.org

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