EDUCATE! 2ND ANNUAL BALL RAISES OVER $25,000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Boulder, Colorado, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) February 17, 2011 -- Boulder, Colo. February 17, 2011- Educate!, a Colorado and Uganda-based organization that empowers the next generation of socially responsible leaders in Africa, hosted its 2nd Annual Ball: For the Future of Africa, on Saturday, Feb. 12 at The Avalon Ballroom in Boulder. The event attracted over 250 guests and raised more than $25,000 for Educate! students and their communities.

Currently, 830 high school aged students in Uganda are enrolled in the Educate Experience, a two-year course to empower African youth to solve their communities’ greatest problems of poverty, disease and environmental degradation.

“The event turned out even better than we could have expected,” said Eric Glustrom, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Educate! and Boulder native. “This year’s Ball was a perfect sequel to last year’s inaugural event.”

The evening featured several special appearances including a presentation by 30-year author and promoter of sustainable development, L. Hunter Lovins, a live auction orchestrated by Elephant Journal Founder Waylon Lewis, as well as a visit from Gov. John Hickenlooper’s Policy Director Jamie Van Leeuwen with a special proclamation. To further support Educate!’s work toward sustainable change in Uganda, Gov. Hickenlooper officially proclaimed Feb. 12 Educate! Uganda Day.

“We are thrilled at Gov. Hickenlooper’s proclamation,” said Glustrom. “It will give us a chance to inform more people about what we’re doing at Educate! and allow more opportunities for us to provide sustainable leadership throughout Uganda.”

Other highlights of the ball included a silent auction, handmade jewelry, arts and crafts from Uganda, as well as a special performance from Selasee and the Fafa Family. Selasee, a West African native and current Boulder resident, plays music that embodies a unique blend of Reggae, West African Highlife, and American Pop. The colorful performance brought many Ball guests to the dance floor.

About Educate!
In Africa nearly 50% of the population is under the age of 18 and youth face problems of poverty, disease, and environmental degradation. But there won't be sustainable solutions without a new generation of African leaders to create and drive those solutions.

That's where we come in. Educate!, founded in 2002, unlocks the potential of African youth to solve their communities' greatest problems of poverty, disease and environmental degradation. Our model is exponential empowerment - investing long-term in a few so they can positively impact many others.

Educate! provides a proven mix of a leadership course, long-term mentoring, practical experience solving a community problem, and an alumni network for high school aged youth. Today, Educate! works with 830 youth across Uganda and is developing a model of education that can be applied across Africa.

Educate! has been backed by Echoing Green, the leading venture philanthropy fund, won the Ashoka Changemakers Quality Education in Africa award, received first place in the Pan African Awards for Entrepreneurship in Education, and was recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of 100 Brilliant Companies of 2009.

For more information visit: www.experienceeducate.org

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