4.17.2008 - 10:08am ET

(CSRwire) MCLEAN, VA, April 17, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hundreds of MBA students at graduate business schools across the United States are putting aside their studies in support of the first TeamMBA Week, an effort by the next generation of business leaders to deploy their skills and ambition in support of the communities and causes where they live and work. TeamMBA Week is set to occur from April 21 to 25, with groups from at least 22 universities scheduled to participate in activities throughout April.

Students taking part in TeamMBA week will be involved in a broad range of community-centered activities, including renovating public school buildings in Washington, D.C.; cleaning up a park in Rochester, New York; refurbishing homes for needy people in Charlottesville, Virginia; and helping to restore ancient temples in Honolulu.

"As Darden MBA graduates, we are blessed for the rest of our lives with innumerable resources," said Brian Burke, a student organizer from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. "Not everyone in Charlottesville and Albemarle County shares that wealth of possibility; in fact, many people have trouble keeping their homes in a safe, healthy, and comfortable state. Our rehabilitation efforts are just one way we are able to thank the people of Charlottesville for accepting us into their community over the last two years."

TeamMBA Week is one of the activities of TeamMBA, an initiative by the Graduate Management Admission Council(R) (GMAC(R)) -- sponsor of the GMAT exam -- to encourage and support social responsibility and community engagement by graduate business schools and their students. Since TeamMBA was launched in 2005, thousands of students, staff and faculty from dozens of business schools have donated thousands of volunteer hours and raised more than $300,000 for charities and community organizations. For more information about TeamMBA, visit www.gmac.com/teammba.

Based in McLean, Va., GMAC (www.gmac.com) is a non-profit education association of leading graduate business schools worldwide. GMAC administers the GMAT exam, which is used by more than 4,000 graduate business programs around the world and remains the first and only global, standardized test specifically designed for graduate business and management programs. More information about the GMAT is at www.mba.com.

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