Philadelphia Hosts the First-Ever 'National Vocabulary Championship' Giving Students the Opportunity to Test Their Vocabulary Knowledge

Philadelphia Hosts the First-Ever 'National Vocabulary Championship' Giving Students the Opportunity to Test Their Vocabulary Knowledge

Local High School Students Compete for $5,000 Prize and a Chance to Qualify for Final Competition in New York City and $40,000 '529' College Savings Plan

Comcast Sponsored Educational Event Comes to UPenn's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology November 16th

PHILADELPHIA and SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Vocabulary Championship (NVC) rolls into Philadelphia with an opportunity for local high school students to win money toward their college savings accounts and their schools. University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology will open its doors to 100 local students on November 16 as they compete to be the last one standing in a competition that tests vocabulary skills through fun and interactive game play.

The National Vocabulary Championship is a nationwide educational initiative conceived by television network GSN that aims to promote the importance of vocabulary skills in school, at work and at play. The Princeton Review, a leading provider of college preparation and educational services, provides study materials for students, including sample tests, words of the day, NVC-related podcasts of study words and other preparation materials. These materials are available free online at www.winwithwords.com.

The Philadelphia winner will receive $5,000 and an all-expense paid trip to New York City for the final competition in February. There, the winner will go head-to-head with 49 other students from around the country as they compete to win $40,000 to be invested in a 529 College Savings Plan and the title of "National Vocabulary Champion."

"GSN is taking the NVC across the country to raise awareness of the importance of language arts in the classroom," said Dena Kaplan, Senior Vice President of Marketing, GSN. "We're investing in America's future by providing money for college to winning students as well as making learning words fun and relevant in the game of life."

Comcast has lent support to the program by airing "Win with Words" public service announcements since August. Celebrities Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Probst, Tom Bergeron and others joined the network in filming these PSAs that encourage high school students to expand their vocabulary and, in turn, their opportunities in life.

"We're thrilled to be able to bring this program to Philadelphia students," commented Christian Meyer, Regional VP, Sales and Marketing. "Comcast has a strong commitment to this community, and we hope it shows through enriching programs like the National Vocabulary Championship."

Students at area high schools including Academy at Palumbo, Bodine H.S. for International Affairs, Central, Dobbins Career and Technical Education, Furness, Lankenau, Parkway Northwest H.S. for Peace and Social Justice, Philadelphia Military Academy at Leeds, Randolph Career Academy, W.B. Saul, West Philadelphia, Widener Memorial, George Washington, Carver H.S. for Engineering and Science, and Charles Carroll prepared for an in-school NVC qualifying exam under the tutelage of vocabulary coaches. A total of 100 students, representing top-scoring students from each participating high school, will be invited to participate in the November 16th live competition. The event is open to the public and the media is encouraged to attend.

Philadelphia students who do not attend a participating high school may still participate by taking an online exam to qualify for the National Vocabulary Championship finals in New York. Students can register and take the national online test at predetermined times October 27th thru November 5th. Log on to www.winwithwords.com for more information.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR PARTICIPATE IN THE NVC. Open only to high school students who are legal residents of the U.S., between the ages of 13 and 19 as of the date of each applicable NVC exam and/or event. Minors in their state of residency must provide written consent from their parent or legal guardian to be eligible to advance to an NVC citywide championship or regional exam. Void where prohibited. Please visit www.winwithwords.com for complete details, including dates of NVC qualifying examinations and events, additional eligibility restrictions and prize descriptions/restrictions.

About "National Vocabulary Championship(TM)"

The National Vocabulary Championship (NVC) is a GSN initiative that uses competition and wordplay to engage and reward high school students, educators and parents, teaching them the value of a strong vocabulary. Created with educational partner The Princeton Review, the NVC is open to eligible high school students across the country and will be promoted in schools and through a national "Win With Words" PSA campaign. In addition, a robust, interactive website (www.winwithwords.com) will offer a variety of free vocabulary-enhancing tools, word games and study materials.

About "Win With Words(TM)"

GSN's Win With Words public service campaign is designed to promote the importance of vocabulary skills in one's lives no matter the age. Words play an important part in education, careers, communication and even being a contestant on a game show. The Win With Words campaign includes study materials, words of the day, and other elements that improve language arts year-long. These educational features can be found on the website www.winwithwords.com. Celebrities who appeared in the Win With Words(TM) public service announcements include Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Bergeron, Jeff Probst, Chuck Woolery and Shandi Finnessey.

About GSN

GSN, the Network for Games, is the only U.S. television network dedicated to game-related programming and interactive game playing. The network features game shows, reality series, documentaries and casino games. As the industry leader in interactivity, GSN features over 133 hours per week of interactive programming, which allows viewers a chance to win prizes by playing along with GSN's televised games via GSN.com. Reaching 60 million Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S. through all major cable systems and satellite providers. The network is jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation. For further media information, visit GSN's press website at corp.gsn.com.

About The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review is a pioneer in the world of education. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in New York City, the Company offers private tutoring and classroom and online test preparation to help students improve their scores in college and graduate school admissions tests. The Company's free website, www.PrincetonReview.com, helps over half of university-bound students research, apply to, prepare for, and learn how to pay for their higher education, and helps hundreds of colleges and universities streamline their admissions and recruiting activities. In addition, The Princeton Review works with school districts around the U.S. to measurably strengthen students' academic skills by connecting ongoing assessment with professional development and instruction and by providing districts with college and career resources for both students and guidance counselors. The Company also authors more than 200 print and software titles on test preparation, college and graduate school selection and admissions, and related topics.

About Comcast Cable

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast Cable is a division of Comcast Corporation, the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. With 23.3 million cable customers, 10 million high-speed Internet customers and 1.6 million digital voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable networks and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's Eastern Division currently serves more than 5.4 million customers along the New York to DC corridor, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia and North Carolina. The Eastern Division also founded and manages CN8, The Comcast Network, one of the nation's largest and most honored regional 24-hour diversified television networks, seen by more than nine million homes on the East Coast. The Eastern Division is based in Oaks, Pennsylvania.

Source: GSN

CONTACT: Deborah McBride of GSN, +1-310-255-6938, dmcbride@gsn.com

Web site: http://www.gsn.com/
http://corp.gsn.com/
http://www.winwithwords.com/
http://www.princetonreview.com/

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