NEW YORK, March 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/-- The National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) today announced the names of its ten 2008 Lewis Hine Awards Honorees, thetwo Distinguished Service AwardHonorees, and the Ronald H. Brown Award Honoree. The recipients of the awards will receive them at a ceremony on Monday, March 31st at 5:30 p.m. at the Time Warner Center in New York City. The 2008 Award Ceremony Chair is John W. Lee II, Chairman of the READY TO LEARN PARTNERSHIP.

Named for the acclaimed photographer who documented early twentieth century exploitation of child labor, the Lewis Hine Awards for Service to Children and Youth are bestowed annually to ten relatively unknown men and women for their efforts on behalf of the health, education, and welfare of children and youth, particularly those at risk. The Lewis Hine Awards are given to unheralded professionals and volunteers who devote extraordinary time and energy to helping children and youth. The recipients, who come from many walks of life and from across the United States, are selected by a panel of distinguished judges from nominations submitted by elected officials and community leaders.

In addition to the Lewis Hine Awards, the NCLC confers Distinguished Service Awards upon business leaders and individuals in the public eye who have made a positive impact on the welfare of the nation's children and youth.The NCLC also presents the Ronald H. Brown Award, which honors one American leader, like the late Mr. Brown, who has overcome prejudice and discrimination and who uses his or her public platform to help today's young people do the same.

"Despite over 100 years of work by organizations like the NCLC and the individuals we honor with these awards, too many young people still do not have the access to education, quality health care, and the economic opportunities they deserve," said John W. Lee II, the 2008 Awards Chairman. "These awards offer us an opportunity to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of people doing extraordinary things on behalf of young people. We applaud and elevate their work and dedication in the hope that they are an example for the rest of us to be agents of change in our society."

THE 2008 DISTINQUISHED SERVICE AWARD HONOREES

ANN M. MARCHETTI,Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality (NICHQ)

JANICE WEINMAN,President, Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.)

RONALD H. BROWN AWARD HONOREE

DIANE PATRICK,Partner, Law FirmRopes & Grayand First Lady of Massachusetts

THE 2008 LEWIS HINE AWARD HONOREES

PROFESSIONALS

SHERILYN ADAMS OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

Executive Director, Larkin Street Youth Services

GENE BOWEN OF WARWICK, NEW YORK

Founder/President, Road Recovery Foundation

DON BLUESTONE OF BRONX, NEW YORK

Executive Director, Mosholu Montefiore Community Center

JOSE COLON-RIVAS OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT

Executive Director, Office of Young Children for the City of Hartford

SR. PAULETTE LOMONACO OF NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Executive Director, Good Shepherd Services

VOLUNTEERS

CHRIS and ANN BURKE OF NORTH KINGSTOWN, RHODE ISLAND

Founders, The Lindsay Ann Burke Memorial Fund

STAN CURTIS OF PROSPECT, KENTUCKY

Founder, Kentucky Harvest Food for the Hungry and USA Harvest

RONALD E. DUKES OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

Team Leader/Promoter, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Program (FIRST)

STEVE KIDD OF PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND

Program Director, CampAmeriKids/AmeriCares

FREDDIE BARRETT RAINWATER OF GULF BREEZE, FLORIDA

Founder, FavorHouse of Northwest Florida, Inc.

About Lewis Wickes Hine

Lewis Wickes Hine is known for his work photographing child labor practices. Beginning in 1908, Hine became a staff photographer for the NCLC with a difficult and unusual assignment. Often hiding his camera and tricking his way past bosses, Hine even learned to write with his hand inside his pocket in order to get accurate captions without giving himself away. His work -- famously never touched up for effect -- depicting children laboring in sweatshops, coal mines, textile mills, and on farms outraged the public and shamed the government into acting. His photographs provided the NCLC with the leverage it needed to advance the enactment of state and federal laws to protect the rights of children in the workplace, including the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which was the first major Federal child labor law ever enacted.

About the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC)

The National Child Labor Committee is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the well-being of children and youth in the fields of work and education. Founded in 1904 and incorporated by an Act of Congress in 1907, the mission of NCLC is to promote the rights, dignity, well-being, and education of children and youth as they relate to work and the workplace.In its eleventh decade, the NCLC continues the work of its founding visionaries as a leading force in ensuring child labor law compliance, transforming the workplace into a learning environment, improving employment and training opportunities for older youth, and securing youth occupational safety and health. Additional information about the organization and its programs can be found at www.nationalchildlabor.org.

About the READY TO LEARN PARTNERSHIP

The READY TO LEARN PARTNERSHIP (RTLP) is a unique, forward-thinking coalition of private and public sector professionals committed to helping develop young children's emergent literacy and reading skills -- with a special emphasis on the needs of children from low income families. It leverages federal funds with for-profit and not-for-profit resources to create highly engaging, educational children's media products and outreach services. Additional information about the RTLP, its mission, and its programs can be found at www.rtlp.org.

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