The National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) today announced the recipients of the 26th annual LEWIS HINE AWARDS FOR SERVICE TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH.

Named for the acclaimed NCLC photographer who documented early-20th century exploitation of children, the LEWIS HINE AWARDS honor those individuals who, either as professionals or volunteers, give of themselves and go the extra mile for the well-being of young people. The recipients, who this year hail from as far away as Wyoming and as close as Connecticut, are selected by a distinguished panel of judges from among hundreds of nominations submitted each year by business, community, and nonprofit leaders.

The Awards will be presented at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on the evening of Monday, January 30th. (Photo Op/Media Interviews/Reception 6:00-6:45 p.m., Award Ceremony 6:45-8:00 p.m.)

This year's program will be chaired by Maria R. Morris, Executive Vice President of MetLife, Inc.

"We congratulate this year's honorees for their truly extraordinary accomplishments and appreciate their exceptional service on behalf of our nation's children and youth," said Ms. Morris. "MetLife and MetLife Foundation have a longstanding commitment to improving the health and well-being of young people and preparing them for the future. We are proud to join NCLC in recognizing this year's Lewis Hine Awards honorees for their dedication and hard work toward making the welfare of all children a priority."

The NCLC also announced that a select group of public figures will be honored with special awards, including the Distinguished Service Awards to business leaders and individuals in the public eye who have had a positive impact on the welfare of children and youth, The David T. Kearns Award for Excellence and Innovation in Education, and The Ronald H. Brown Award, which honors American leaders, like the late Mr. Brown, who have overcome prejudice and discrimination and uses his or her public platform to help today's young people do the same. In addition, this year the NCLC will inaugurate The Nancy Daly Advocacy Award memorializing the late Los Angeles, California, activist and philanthropist Nancy Daly whose continuous efforts over many years provided support and opportunity for thousands of young people.

The following are the 2012 honorees:

Professionals:
Lauren Book, Aventura, Florida, Executive Director and Founder, Lauren's Kids Inc., www.laurenskids.org, will be honored for her advocacy on behalf of sexually abused children and teens.

Lester Paul Claravall, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who has served as Child Labor Director for the Oklahoma Department of Labor, www.labor.ok.gov, will be honored for his crusade to ensure that teen workers are safe and protected when in the work environment.

Gregory Davis, Boston, Massachusetts, Family Services Manager, Boston Housing Authority, www.bostonhousing.org, will be honored for providing youth living in the public housing development run by Boston Housing Authority with positive alternatives to drugs and violence.

Michael Duggan, Stamford, Connecticut, Executive Director, Domus, www.domuskids.org, will be honored for dedicating his life's work to ensuring that vulnerable youth who need extra support to reach their full potential are given adequate support, structure, and love to experience success.

Marsha Glines, Boca Raton, Florida, Dean, Institute for Achievement and Learning, Lynn University, www.lynn.edu, will be honored as a trailblazer in the field of special education.

Ana Pagan, Merced, California, Director, Merced County Human Services Agency, www.co.merced.ca.us, will be honored for her visionary efforts in finding solutions to the problems of poverty, substance abuse, and child neglect in one of the poorest counties in California.

Volunteers:
Miriam Abernathy, Cheyenne, Wyoming, Mentoring Program Volunteer, Office of Youth Alternatives, City of Cheyenne,www.cheyennecity.org, will be honored for her 35 years as a mentor to young juvenile offenders.

Hussein Berry, Dearborn, Michigan, Co-Founder/President, Dearborn Youth Football Association, www.dyfa.org/index, will be honored for his decade-long work as a mentor and advocate in his community on behalf of Dearborn youth.

Bobbye R. Burke, Houston, Texas, Volunteer, Special Schools: Academic Behavior Center West

Harris County Department of Education,www.hcde-texas.org, will be honored for her decade as a volunteer teacher to autistic and emotionally disturbed children and youth.

Sister Patty Caraher, Atlanta, Georgia, Co-Founder, Former Board Member, International Community School, www.icsgeorgia.org, will be honored for her over half-century of teaching, mentoring, and inspiring disenfranchised children and teens with education and social justice.

Ted Horvath, Cleveland, Ohio, Trustee, Eleanor B. Rainey Memorial Institute,www.raineyinstitute.org, will be honored for taking his passion for the arts and music, and creating a safe haven for low income children and families.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD HONOREES:
Darell Hammond, Washington, D.C., Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Play, KaBOOM! www.kaboom.org, will be honored for working with communities and corporations to create safe and accessible playgrounds across the America.

Marley Kaplan, New York, New York, CEO, Chess in the Schools, Inc.,www.chessintheschools.org, will be honored for transforming the lives of thousands of public school students by promoting and expanding a chess education program in the New York City school system.

THE NANCY DALY ADVOCACY AWARD:
Father Gregory Boyle, Los Angeles, California, Executive Director, Homeboy Industries, www.homeboy-industries.org, will be honored for creating positive alternatives for young people to combat the escalating problems and unmet needs of gang-involved youth, including opening businesses to provide legitimate employment for them.

DAVID T. KEARNS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION IN EDUCATION:
J. Clifford Hudson, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Sonic Corp., www.sonicdrivein.com, will be honored for his successful efforts to raise over $500 million and orchestrate the rebuilding and turnaround of the 40,000 student inner-city Oklahoma City Public School system.

THE RONALD H. BROWN AWARD
David R. Jones, Esq., New York, New York, President & CEO, Community Service Society of New York (CSS), www.cssny.org, will be honored for being an outspoken advocate for low-income New Yorkers and fighting to make organized philanthropy more responsive to the needs of the socially, economically, and politically disenfranchised groups in New York City.

Since its inception, thousands of deserving individuals have been nominated for LEWIS HINE AWARDS and over 250 have been selected as honorees. Previous recipients have gained national and local recognition and have earned increased support, allowing them to make an even greater difference in their communities. Each of this year's LEWIS HINE AWARDS Honorees will receive a $1,000 award.

For more information about the National Child Labor Committee and the LEWIS HINE AWARDS, visit www.nationalchildlabor.org.

For more information about MetLife and the MetLife Foundation, visit www.metlife.com and www.metlife.org.

PRESS CONTACT:
To learn more about this year's awards or to speak with any of the Honorees, the LEWIS HINE AWARDS' Chair, or the NCLC Committee's Chairman and the Executive Director, contact Joyce Appelman at 516-482-1016 or joyceappelman@gmail.com.

NCLC Committee
Joyce Appelman, 516-482-1016
Chairman and Executive Director
joyceappelman@gmail.com