NATIONAL FEDERATION OF STATE HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONS NEWS RELEASE

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1 NATIONAL FEDERATION OF STATE HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONS NEWS RELEASE Fourth NFHS Student Leadership Conference Scheduled for July in Indianapolis FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Elliot Hopkins INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 12, 2007) After a three-year break, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) will host its Student Leadership Conference July at the downtown Hilton in Indianapolis, Indiana. The conference was established in 2001 and will bring together nearly 300 student and adult delegates from 29 states, Canada and Israel. This year s conference has been made possible through a generous grant from T-Mobile USA, Inc. Other sponsors include Samsung, Gatorade and Nike. We re extremely excited that T-Mobile has chosen to take part in this year s conference, said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of educational services and coordinator of the Student Leadership Conference. We embrace the fact that they see value in young people and want to partner in this outstanding initiative. T-Mobile is not only

2 supporting the conference, but will be involved as participants in the activities we provide. Harvey Alston will return to the conference for the fourth time as this year s opening speaker. Alston, who will speak at the Opening General Session at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 19, is a renowned public speaker whose message to Be the Best, focuses on individual responsibility for achievement. Alston is known as one of the nation s top motivators of teenagers, having spoken to more than one million people throughout his career. He has experience in many areas, including time as a football coach at Columbus (Ohio) East High School and assistant director of student financial aid at the university level. As an educator, he has taught English, biology, health, life sciences and math. In addition, Alston has written four books, including Black Males and Be The Best, received numerous awards and national recognitions, and is a member of both the National Speakers Association and the Ohio Speakers Forum. Harvey is one of the most exciting, engaging speakers in the country, Hopkins said. He has an illustrious career, and we are fortunate to have his talent here again. Felicia Hall-Allen, a compelling and energetic presenter originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, will serve as this year s closing speaker at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, July 22. She is the former executive director of Leadership America North Carolina, a

3 statewide women s leadership organization that educates, connects and empowers female leaders to improve North Carolina communities. She also is a member of the New Jersey State Bar. Hall-Allen attended the University of Iowa on a basketball scholarship, receiving degrees in education and law. She has served as manager for Nike s women s basketball sports marketing division, vice president of team operations for the WNBA s Charlotte Sting and is currently president and CEO of Felicia Hall Allen & Associates. Felicia s wisdom and genuine concern for young people shines through in every word she speaks, Hopkins said. She is a wonderful addition to the conference. The conference will include large- and small-group instruction in three breakout sessions, which will be headed by college-aged and adult facilitators from across the country. The breakout sessions will offer advice and a forum to discuss the issues teens are dealing with in today s society, such as respect, positive values, perspective, sportsmanship, teamwork, healthy lifestyles, community service and self-evaluation. In addition to group discussion, students will choose among several speakers during two sessions on Friday. Some of the topics include NCAA Eligibility/National Clearinghouse Information, Careers in Athletics, Money Management, Communications for the Next Century, How to Safely Use Social Networking Web Sites and Successful

4 Tips for the ACT/SAT Standardized Tests. Representatives from The Princeton Review, Fifth Third Bank, the NCAA and Takkle.com, among others, will speak. New to the 2007 conference is the T-Mobile Stick Together Student Lounge, providing students with a place to relax and interact with others during downtime. The lounge will have televisions, phones, computers, reading material and board games for the students use. Also new to the conference is an online diary that will be updated daily, giving the public a firsthand account of what the students are experiencing as they spend the weekend in Indianapolis. On Friday, July 20, the delegates will visit the Indianapolis Children s Museum and participate in The Magic of Stephen, an entertaining show performed by magician Stephen Bargatze. In his show, Bargatze incorporates facts about drinking and driving and shares concerns of alcohol and substance abuse faced by youth in today s society. Having grown up in an alcoholic family, Bargatze wraps up his performance by sharing his life story. From 1 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, the students will work to beautify and renovate Oscar Charleston Park and Washington Park for the Huddle Up Community Service Project presented by T-Mobile. This event has become one of the mostanticipated events of the conference. The students will be greeted by Joseph Wynns, the executive director of Indy Parks and Recreation, along with a representative from

5 Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson s office. T-Mobile executives will also be in attendance and involved in the community service project. Students will have the option of participating in an Ecumenical worship service from 8 to 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 22, followed by a skit put on by the facilitators. The conference will conclude with the Closing General Session from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., after which students will say farewell to new friends and depart for their home states. The goal of the NFHS Student Leadership Conference is to encourage students to return to their respective schools and communities with new and improved leadership skills and work with their adult counterparts to help develop a plan for their school and make a positive and significant impact on the community. # # # This press release was written by Nikki Miller, a summer semester intern in the NFHS publications/communications department and a senior at the University of Dayton (Ohio), majoring in journalism and Spanish. About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)

6 The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and fine arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and fine arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 18,500 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; produces publications for high school coaches, officials and athletic directors; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, spirit coaches, speech and debate coaches and music adjudicators; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS Web site at MEDIA CONTACTS: Bruce Howard or John Gillis, National Federation of State High School Associations PO Box 690, Indianapolis, Indiana bhoward@nfhs.org or jgillis@nfhs.org

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