Princeton University

For immediate release: August 23, 2006

Media contact: James Smith, (312) 726-0140, jsmith@arielcapital.com

CHICAGO — Eunice G. Buehler, a senior at Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest, will be awarded the Princeton Prize in Race Relations for her efforts to improve relations through a nonprofit organization she founded called Cultures for Youth NFP (CFY).

For her efforts, Buehler will receive a $1,000 award during a ceremony at 6 p.m. Aug. 30 at the DuSable Musesm of African American History. State Sen. Kwame Raoul (13th District) will be the keynote speaker. Two other students from the area, Joseph Melton and Bryan Stovall, will receive certificates of accomplishment at the ceremony.

The Princeton Prize in Race Relations is an awards program that recognizes high school students for outstanding work in their schools or communities to advance the cause of race relations. The program was launched in 2003 in the Washington, D.C., and Boston metropolitan areas. The ever-expanding program is now also offered in Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Francisco and Chicago.

The Chicago Princeton Prize Committee selected Buehler after learning how she was moved to form Cultures for Youth after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The tragedy caused her to recognize that the hatred in the world is caused because of cultural misunderstanding. Buehler formed CFY to help young people throughout the world celebrate each other’s cultures and promote acceptance. Her organization, which began with students from her predominantly white high school, has grown to include more than 175 members in both the U.S. and Africa.

The CFY group, which meets weekly, organizes projects that promote friendship and harmony among urban and suburban youth of many different races. The student members began by organizing a culture fair for students at a predominantly Latino elementary school; performing ethnic dances for a Chicago public school with a large Latino and African American student body; and performing at a Chinese school.

In 2005, Buehler established a CFY-Africa chapter of her organization in Jinja, Uganda. This group of 77 members communicates with the group in the United States to collaborate on many projects, including building a library in Uganda. For that project, the American students collected and sent more than 3,000 books to Uganda while the volunteers in Africa secured a location, built shelves and organized a volunteer staff for the library.

Buehler has devoted more than 870 hours to CFY projects and reached more than 3,000 youth in the Chicago area with her project.

“Eunice Buehler may have more volunteer service experience and unique learning experiences than any other student I have counseled in my 14-year career,” said Brad Naughton, counselor at Lake Forest High School. “Much of Eunice’s service is not only community based, but also world wide and touches remote parts of the world.”

The Chicago Princeton Prize Committee also will award certificates of achievement to seniors Joseph Melton, from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. College Prep, and Bryan Stovall. from Dunbar High School, in Chicago.

Melton has demonstrated his ability to influence race relations positively in his leadership roles in his high school and on the sports fields. From a predominantly African-American high school, he has participated in activities that have often made him one of few African-American students involved. On the soccer field and with the chess board, he has helped his fellow teammates and competitors to overcome the racial divides that their parents often taught them.

Stovall was involved in a cultural exchange program at his church where he served as a cultural liaison between members of a Swedish choir, his church choir and African-American culture in the city of Chicago. The exchange brought together international cultures and broadened the viewpoints of all involved.

For more information please contact James Smith at (312) 726-0140 or jsmith@arielcapital.com.