Local Children's Advocate Honored as 'Nobel Laureate' for Community Service

Communities In Schools Founder Bill Milliken Joins Jimmy Carter, Colin Powell
and Marion Wright Edelman as Recipient of the National Jefferson Award for
Public Service.

ARLINGTON, Va., June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bill Milliken, founder of
Communities In Schools and leading youth advocate, receives today the
prestigious 2009 National Jefferson Award for Public Service at a Gala Dinner
and National Ceremony held in the East Hall of Union Station in Washington,
D.C.

The award, presented by the American Institute for Public Service, is in the
category of Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, and
recognizes Milliken's 40 years of work helping young people graduate school
and prepare for life.

The awards ceremony was preceded by a U.S. Senate reception in the Dirksen
Senate Office Building.

The Jefferson Awards, known as the "Nobel Prize" for outstanding community and
public service, were founded in 1972. Past honorees have included President
Jimmy Carter, former secretary of state Colin Powell, and advocate Marion
Wright Edelman.

Communities In Schools is the nation's largest dropout prevention
organization, working in nearly 3,300 K-12 public schools. Founded in 1977,
Communities In Schools is headquartered in Alexandria, Va. Today, more than
1.3 million young people annually receive direct services through almost 200
Communities In Schools local affiliates in 26 states and the District of
Columbia. Between 80-90 percent of Communities In Schools' tracked students
show improvement in academic achievement, attendance, behavior and promotion
to the next grade level. Visit our website at www.communitiesinschools.org.

SOURCE Communities In Schools

Peter Wilson of Communities In Schools, +1-703-518-2565, wilsonp@cisnet.org