LOS ANGELES, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Young people today want to take action to change the world. At the PeaceJam Global Conference at Loyola Marymount University on September 11-13, 2008, PeaceJam, Penguin Young Readers Group, and the Pearson Foundation will announce a new initiative, the PeaceJam Global Call to Action Challenge, that gives young activists everywhere the chance to work directly with a Nobel Laureate in their own school.

The Global Call to Action Challenge is an extension of the newly-published Penguin Young Readers book, "PEACEJAM: A Billion Simple Acts of Peace," by Dawn Gifford Engle and Ivan Suvanjieff (Puffin, September 2008, $16.99, Paperback, Non-fiction, ISBN: 9780142412343, 208 pages, ages 12 and up). Through PeaceJam's Global Call to Action, Nobel Laureates including the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Rigoberta Menchu Tum have asked young people throughout the world to commit themselves to creating 1 billion projects to serve communities in the next decade.

The Global Call to Action Challenge encourages young people to document these projects in digital film and in writing. The Challenge winners, to be announced in April 2009, will get the opportunity to have a Nobel Laureate visit their school during the spring of 2009. More information about entry details and the Challenge can be found in "PEACEJAM: A Billion Simple Acts of Peace" and online at www.globalcalltoaction.org and www.peacejam.org

As part of the Challenge, PeaceJam and Penguin are joining the Digital Arts Alliance, the consortium of organizations that brings digital arts experiences directly to over 15,000 young people and teachers each year. Entrants to the Challenge may also earn the chance to work directly with the Digital Arts Alliance to create public service announcements, which will be broadcast on television and the Internet. In addition, Global Call to Action projects will be profiled in future books and classroom curriculum created by Penguin and the Pearson Foundation.

To celebrate the launch of the Global Call to Action Challenge, the Pearson Foundation will donate over 3,000 copies of "PEACEJAM: A Billion Simple Acts of Peace" to participants at the PeaceJam Global Conference.

"PeaceJam has seen first-hand the power and drive of young people to act in the interest of the world we all share," said Dawn Engle, PeaceJam co-founder. "The Global Call to Action Challenge is a natural extension of PeaceJam's commitment to action and to bringing young people together with the wisdom and experience of Nobel Laureates. This Challenge provides that opportunity and enhances it with the support of Penguin, the Pearson Foundation, and the Digital Arts Alliance."

Eileen Kreit, President and Publisher of Puffin Books added, "PeaceJam is about what you can do as a young person to address problems you witness in the world. Penguin is proud to extend PeaceJam's reach to young people through "PEACEJAM: A Billion Simple Acts of Peace." The Global Call to Action Challenge encourages young people to act by describing their projects and expressing themselves in digital media, and the publication of this book will bring youth and Nobel Laureates together to change the world for the better."

"By joining the Digital Arts Alliance, PeaceJam makes it possible for the young leaders it serves to amplify their own voices, -- at conferences, through curriculum, and in books with a leading publisher like Penguin -- as well as in the digital media," said Mark Nieker, president, Pearson Foundation.

"PEACEJAM: A Billion Simple Acts of Peace"
Dawn Gifford Engle and Ivan Suvanjieff
Puffin
September 2008, $16.99, Paperback, Non-fiction
ISBN: 9780142412343
208 pages, ages 12 and up

About PeaceJam
PeaceJam is a non-profit organization with its international headquarters located in Arvada, Colorado. Since its inception in 1996, over 600,000 youth have participated in the PeaceJam program, engaging in one million service projects in their communities.

PeaceJam has ten U.S. affiliate offices and international affiliate offices in South Africa, Costa Rica, India, Guatemala, Argentina, and the United Kingdom, with plans to expand to Canada and East Timor.

About the Pearson Foundation
The Pearson Foundation extends Pearson's commitment to education by partnering with leading nonprofit, civic, and business organizations to provide financial, organizational, and publishing assistance across the globe. The foundation aims to make a difference by sponsoring innovative educational programs and extending its educational expertise to help in classrooms and in local communities. More information on the Pearson Foundation can be found at www.pearsonfoundation.org

About Penguin
Penguin Group (USA) is the U.S. affiliate of the internationally renowned Penguin Group. Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks including Berkley Books, Dutton, Frederick Warne, G. P. Putnam's Sons, Grosset & Dunlap, New American Library, Penguin, Philomel, Plume, Puffin Books, Riverhead Books and Viking, among others. The Penguin Group is part of Pearson (FTSE: PSON; NYSE: PSO). Pearson is an international media company with market leading businesses in education, business information and consumer publishing. For more information, visit www.pearson.com

Pearson Foundation

Pearson Foundation

Pearson (NYSE: PSO) is the global leader in educational publishing, assessment, information and services, helping people of all ages to learn at their own pace, in their own way. For students preK-12, Pearson provides effective and innovative curriculum products in all available media, educational assessment and measurement for students and teachers, student information systems, and teacher professional development and certification programs. Our respected brands include Scott Foresman, Prentice Hall, SuccessMaker, Waterford, AGS, PowerSchool, Chancery SMS, SASI, Pearson Inform, Teachervision.com and many others. Our comprehensive offerings help inform targeted instruction and intervention so that success is within reach of every student. Pearson's other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group.

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