Washington DC -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/31/2010 -- The Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) Network was recently named recipient of the prestigious 2010 National Science Board (NSB) Public Service Award as an organization that has made significant contributions and impact in public understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The award ceremony will take place at the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C. on May 4, 2010.

“We are excited to honor The Expanding Your Horizons Network with the NSB Public Service Award in recognition of its decades-long commitment to the early development of interest in mathematics and science among young girls,” said Dr. Steven Beering, NSB Chairman. “We are thoroughly impressed with The Network’s impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of young women, having grown from a small grassroots activity to a nationwide organization.”

The NSB Public Service Award honors individuals and groups that have made substantial contributions to increasing public understanding of science and engineering in the United States. These contributions may be from a wide variety of areas including mass media, education and/or training programs, entertainment, and non-profit and for-profit corporations.

“The Expanding Your Horizons Network is honored to receive such a prestigious award from the National Science Board,” said Stacey Roberts-Ohr, Executive Director of EYH. “It’s wonderful to be recognized for the extensive work we do on behalf of young women and to be included in such an esteemed group of prior winners. It's rewarding to know that we have helped hundreds of thousands of young women explore STEM careers. We are grateful to our partners who coordinate EYH conferences both in the United States and globally, and sincerely thank all of our terrific workshop leaders and volunteers.”

Past group recipients of the NSB Public Service Award include: Bayer Corporation’s Making Science Make Sense® program; Numb3rs, the CBS television drama series;; Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; and NOVA, the PBS television series.

The EYH Network will receive the NSB Public Service Award at the National Science Board Annual Awards Dinner at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC on May 4, 2010. Three additional award recipients will also be honored that evening: Bruce Alberts of the University of California, San Francisco, with the Vannevar Bush Award; Nalini Nadkarni of The Evergreen State College with the individual NSB Public Service Award; and Subhash Khot of New York University with the Alan T. Waterman Award.

About Expanding Your Horizons
The Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging young women to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics careers. The EYH Network coordinates over 86 hands-on math and science conferences in 33 states, as well as Thailand, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Brussels and Geneva each year. These conferences nurture middle and high school girls' interest in science and math courses, encouraging them to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Since 1976, 775,000 young women have participated in EYH conferences. Participants are now professional women scientists working in chemical and civil engineering at places like the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Network Appliances and Elan Pharmaceuticals. http://www.ExpandingYourHorizons.org.

About the National Science Board
The NSB is the 25-member policymaking body for the National Science Foundation and advisory body to the President and Congress on science and engineering issues. Drawn primarily from universities and industry, and representing a variety of science and engineering disciplines and geographic areas, NSB members are selected for their eminence in research, education, or public service, and records of distinguished service. The NSB has 24 members that serve six-year terms. The 25th member is the NSF Director, an ex officio member of the NSB. More information is available at: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb.