1.16.2008 - 12:15pm ET

(CSRwire) SHERMAN, Texas, January 16, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Austin College has announced pioneering social activist Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ), as the recipient of its 2008 Austin College Leadership Award.

Canada's application of the ideals of servant leadership in his quest to revitalize one of New York City's most disadvantaged neighborhoods through his groundbreaking work led to his selection for this prestigious distinction. Canada will personally accept the award during a March 6 awards dinner at the Belo Mansion in Dallas, Texas. The award bears a $100,000 prize.

The Austin College Leadership Award is an extension of the college's Posey Leadership Institute, which seeks to build character through academic study and hands-on leadership education. The four-year program grounds students in the principles of servant leadership -- responsibility, respect, caring, gratitude, and service -- and how these values help both communities and their economies thrive. Canada and previous Austin College Leadership Award recipients are chosen because their lives directly model the leadership goals and ideals taught by the Posey Leadership Institute.

"Mr. Canada's determination to reweave Harlem's social fabric by providing a safety net to catch at-risk youth and their families make him an inspiration and an ideal Austin College Leadership Award recipient," said Oscar C. Page, president of Austin College. "Leaders are measured by the mark they leave on society, and Canada's work has significantly impacted an important 100-block area. His unique approach provides residents with the tools needed to thrive and rise above the pressures of the inner city to achieve success."

Canada, who took the reins of HCZ in 1990, runs the non-profit organization more like a business and is largely credited with its strategic expansion. By involving the public and private sectors, he has helped refocus attention on Harlem and the programs needed to break the chains of poverty to forge a brighter future. His personal experience growing up poor and at-risk in the South Bronx provides him invaluable insight, helping him not only connect to the cause but also pioneer a solution that is producing successful, productive members of the community.

"I am honored to receive this award from an institution dedicated to grooming tomorrow's leaders," said Canada, who will share his insights with Austin College students and faculty March 6 at a campus-wide convocation. The event will be rebroadcast online at http://www.austincollege.edu.

Canada was nominated for the award by Barry Mills, president of Bowdoin College, which is Canada's alma mater. "Geoffrey Canada is a man of vision who understands the problems he is attacking," said Mills. "Importantly, he's not just a visionary but an innovative and fearless leader."

HCZ is the catalyst bringing hope back to Harlem -- breathing new life into an underserved urban community through an interlocking network of social service, education, and community-building programs. Serving more than 16,000 children and adults in 2007 alone with programs like Baby College, Promise Academy, the Employment and Technology Center, and The Renaissance University for Community Education (TRUCE), the organization aims to serve 23,000 by 2011. The Austin College Leadership Award's cash prize will be applied to reaching this attainable goal.

Under Canada's leadership, HCZ has gained national recognition as a model for urban redevelopment, even surfacing in the 2008 presidential race, and has been called one of the most ambitious social experiments of our time by The New York Times. His determination to revitalize Harlem one block at a time has earned him numerous other accolades, including the McGraw Prize for Education, the Jefferson Award for Public Service, the Robin Hood Foundation's Heroes of the Year Award, Child magazine's "Children's Champion" award, the Spirit of the City Award from the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, Bowdoin College's Common Good Award, and New York University's Brennan Legacy Award.

About Austin College

Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located approximately 30 miles north of the greater Dallas metroplex in Sherman, Texas. Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter, the 1,300 student residential college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies, Austin College is one of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope's influential book Colleges that Change Lives.

For more information on admission, student life, and the Austin College experience, please visit http://www.austincollege.edu.

About The Posey Leadership Institute and Austin College Leadership Award

The Posey Leadership Institute at Austin College provides select students with academic and practical experiences in leadership education. Created in 1995, the Institute teaches young people the principles of values-based leadership by focusing on service, global awareness, ethics, communication, and community mentoring. In 2003, the Institute was named in honor of Lee and Sally Posey of Dallas, Texas, in recognition of their generous contributions of time, talents, and resources in mentoring and supporting countless young people. Lee Posey is the founder and retired CEO of Palm Harbor Homes.

The Austin College Leadership Award, created in 2006, honors an outstanding individual whose life's work demonstrates the principles of servant leadership by taking a courageous stand on a public issue that advances a humanitarian or educational purpose; serving the youth of a state, nation, or international community to improve the quality of health, education, or community services; or creating opportunities for young people that help them enhance their educational experience and move to a new level of service to society. Previous recipients are Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America, and Dr. Paul Farmer, Harvard professor, physician, international healthcare activist, and co-founder of Partners in Health.

Geoffrey Canada was selected as the 2008 Austin College Leadership Award recipient by an advisory committee composed of honorary chair Henry Winkler, actor, director, and education advocate; Richard "Dick" Agnich, retired senior vice president, secretary, and general counsel for Texas Instruments; Walter Broadnax, president of Clark Atlanta University; Robert M. Johnson, president of The Johnson Group, Inc.; Felice Nudelman, college marketing manager for The New York Times; Lee Posey, founder and CEO emeritus of Palm Harbor Homes; Fazlur Rahman, physician, writer, and education advocate; and Abby Williams, co-founder and chair of the Board, Williams Preparatory School.

About Harlem Children's Zone, Inc.

Founded in 1970, the Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) is a pioneering,
non-profit, community-based organization that works to enhance the quality of life for children and families in some of New York City's most devastated neighborhoods. Formerly known as Rheedlen Centers for Children and Families, HCZ's 15 centers serve more than 13,000 children and adults in a 100-block area that includes over 9,500 at-risk children. The emphasis of HCZ's work is not just on education, social service, and recreation, but also on rebuilding the very fabric of urban community life.

For additional information on HCZ projects and initiatives, visit http://www.hcz.org.

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