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September 18, 2006
GUARDIAN PRESENTS SEVENTH ANNUAL GIRLS GOING PLACES® ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD PROGRAM
National Call for Nominations of Extraordinary Young Women
| For media inquiries, contact:
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Joe McGurk
Manager of Public Relations
MSCO Media
Tel: 914-798-3192
jmcgurk@msco.com
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| Diana Acevedo
Manager, Target Market Programs
Guardian Life Insurance of America
Tel: 212.598.7881
diana_acevedo@glic.com
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New York, September 18, 2006 — The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian) announced today the launch of the 2007 Girls Going Places® Entrepreneurship Award Program that recognizes and rewards teen-aged girls who demonstrate exceptional entrepreneurship.
Guardian has awarded more than $200,000 women from across the nation since launching this program that furthers their education and supports their entrepreneurial pursuits.
Adults are asked to nominate girls - such as their daughter, niece, neighbor or student - by submitting a 750 to 1,000-word essay on why the nominee deserves a Girls Going Places® award. Fifteen girls will be awarded a total of $30,000. A panel of judges will review the essays and pick finalists that:
 | Demonstrate budding entrepreneurship and/or financial acumen; |
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| Have taken the first steps toward financial independence; |
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| Make a difference in their school or community; |
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| Show potential for future success by initiating a new business. |
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The program highlights the extraordinary goals undertaken by young women across the nation. The National First Place winner of the $10,000 scholarship in the 2006 competition, Ionnie McNeill, 18, of Miami, FL, was nominated for her founding of Speak 2 Share Inc., a business geared towards teaching youth about investing and money management.
Last year's second-place contestant was a 15-year-old girl from Utah who founded Astrotots, a non-profit that runs space and science camps for young girls. The third-place winner, a 15-year-old girl from Massachusetts, founded Cell Phones for Soldiers, a non-profit organization that provides free cell phones and phone cards to military men and women.
"The numbers of women doing amazing things in business is growing by staggering amounts, and we want to recognize their accomplishments and help prepare young women for their future," said Emily Viner, Field Vice President, Individual Markets, Guardian, New York. "There are more than 6.5 million women-owned companies across the nation and they account for 7.1 million workers — Girls Going Places® educates young women about these financial and entrepreneurial opportunities that are available to them."
The three top prizes of $10,000, $5,000 and $3,000 and 12 finalist prizes of $1,000 will be presented to each winner within their respective communities. Nominations are being accepted now and entries will be considered through February 16, 2007.
The Girls Going Places® Entrepreneurship Award program anchors Guardian's Women's Initiative, which was established to help women create, invest and protect wealth. As part of this effort, Guardian is a National Patron of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), which partially underwrites the Girls Going Places® awards. Additional information about the program and nomination forms for the competition can be found at www.girlsgoingplaces.com.
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