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Former First Lady Laura Bush congratulates Chloe Maxmin, 16, of Nobleboro (center) and Olivia Watson, 12, of Topsham (right) on being named the top two youth volunteers in Maine for 2009 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Chloe and Olivia were honored at a ceremony Sunday night, May 3, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., where they each received a $1,000 award. (Photo: Business Wire)

Chloe and Olivia were named the top high school and middle level youth volunteers in Maine last February. In addition to their cash awards, they received engraved silver medallions and an all-expense-paid trip with their parents to Washington, D.C., for this week's recognition events.

"The young people receiving these awards genuinely care about making a difference in the lives of others and have accomplished so much - in their own communities and around the world," said Mrs. Bush, who delivered the keynote address at last night's ceremony. "I thank and congratulate them for their outstanding volunteer work. Students with this kind of commitment and leadership ability are essential to the future of our nation."

Chloe, a junior at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, is an environmental activist who started a "Climate Action Club" to undertake a wide range of projects in her school and community to fight global warming. Chloe, who lives on a farm and fell in love with the wilderness of Maine's North Woods while growing up, is passionate about preserving the environment. When she entered high school, she was surprised to find little awareness of environmental issues among students, so she decided to start a club focused on global warming. "I wanted to share my passion with my peers and galvanize a green movement in my school and town," she said.

Chloe wrote a mission statement, recruited a faculty advisor, spoke at assemblies to sign up club members, and held meetings to plan strategies and operations. So far, the club's "action teams" have eliminated vehicle-idling on school grounds, and established recycling programs for batteries and print-cartridges. To make their school more energy-efficient, they encouraged faculty to turn off computers and installed "smart strips" in the school's computer labs. Chloe also launched a campaign to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags in town. In addition, she has built a website (www.firstheretheneverywhere.org), produced educational materials, and written columns for a local newspaper to inform as many people as possible about environmental issues. "My life's mission," she says, "is to make global warming the defining issue of my generation."

Olivia, a seventh-grader at Mt. Ararat Middle School, volunteers to take care of young children every week at "Building Blocks," a daycare center in her community. Olivia heard about the volunteer opportunity from a friend, and it sounded like fun, she said. Plus, she wanted to do something useful with her summer vacation and gain babysitting experience. "So I decided to try it out and I absolutely love it," she said.

After an interview with the director of the daycare center, Olivia began working there last summer and now works after school on Fridays with 10 toddlers. Her job is to play with the kids, read to them, help feed them, teach them manners, and nurture them. "Every kid likes to do different things, so I get to do a variety of activities," she said. Olivia rides her bicycle to the center from home after finishing her paper route. "I am very proud that I wanted to do this and I did it," Olivia said. "Now I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to."

"Chloe and Olivia are inspiring examples of young Americans who care deeply about the needs of others and who have taken the initiative to help meet those needs," said John R. Strangfeld, Chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "By honoring them, we hope not only to give them the recognition they so richly deserve, but also to inspire others to follow their example."

Nearly 20,000 young people submitted applications for the 2009 awards program last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of the Points of Light Institute's HandsOn Network. The top middle level and high school applicants in each state were selected in February, and were flown to Washington this week with their parents for four days of special recognition events.

Conducted in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards were created 14 years ago by Prudential Financial, Inc. to encourage youth volunteerism and to identify and reward young role models. Since then, the program has honored nearly 90,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level.

"The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is a fabulous partnership between NASSP and Prudential, allowing us to recognize the outstanding young people in our schools and communities," said NASSP President Larry Bradley. "This year's honorees exemplify the true spirit of helping others and by doing so they give America and the world a promising future, a future filled with compassion and hope."

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards are supported by the American Association of School Administrators, the National Middle School Association, the National School Boards Association, the Council of the Great City Schools, Girl Scouts of the USA, National 4-H Council, the American Red Cross, YMCA of the USA, the Points of Light Institute, and other national education and service organizations.

More information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees can be found at http://spirit.prudential.com or www.principals.org/prudential.

In existence since 1916, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the preeminent organization of and national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and aspiring school leaders from across the United States and more than 45 countries around the world. NASSP's mission is to promote excellence in school leadership. The National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society , and National Association of Student Councils are all NASSP programs. For more information about NASSP, located in Reston, Va., visit www.principals.org or call 703-860-0200.

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) is a financial services leader with operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Leveraging its heritage of life insurance and asset management expertise, Prudential is focused on helping approximately 50 million individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth. The company's well-known Rock symbol is an icon of strength, stability, expertise and innovation that has stood the test of time. Prudential's businesses offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services. For more information, visit www.news.prudential.com.

[Editors: full-color pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions are available at http://spirit.prudential.com.]

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5954256&lang=en

Prudential
Harold Banks, 973-802-8974 or 973-216-4833
On May 4, 8:30 am - 4 pm EDT: 202-955-1155 or -1166