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WASHINGTON, April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Destination ImagiNation Inc. President Robert T. Purifico will tell a congressional panel on Thursday how the non-profit's 45,000 volunteers make a difference in the lives of more than 300,000 youth taking part in DI programs ever year, and reaffirm how important volunteerism is in enhancing the quality of life for all Americans.

Destination ImagiNation is headquartered in Glassboro, NJ, and has participants in all 50 states and 41 foreign countries. Purifico was invited to address the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities, which is holding a hearing entitled "Renewing the Spirit of National and Community Service" during National Volunteer Week April 15-21.

The hearing will be webcast at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 19, at http://edworkforce.house.gov. It also will be broadcast live on CSPAN at 10:30 a.m. EDT.

"Our passionate volunteers giving freely of their time have truly been the beating heart of Destination ImagiNation for the past 25 years," said Purifico. "As the largest creative problem solving program in the world, we have relied on the dedication of our volunteers to help promote teamwork, self-confidence, critical thinking and leadership among more than one million youth since DI was founded. During this special week, the DI volunteer corps embodies the spirit of volunteerism in America today."

One of Destination ImagiNation's most successful initiatives is Project Outreach, a program which partners DI volunteers with community leaders and residents in order to find solutions to neighborhood problems using DI's creative problem solving processes.

And, every year, volunteers in 50 states and 41 foreign countries guide 300,000 young people as they compete in more than 500 creative problem solving tournaments leading up to worldwide Global Finals in May.

Last year, The National Center for Education and the Economy featured an article on its website that cited the value of DI's volunteer-based creative problem solving processes and programs. The research paper on the site said Destination ImagiNation's programs can help youth become more successful in the workplace of the future and should be considered for application in the nation's classrooms.
For more information, please visit http://www.destinationimagination.org.

SOURCE Destination ImagiNation, Inc.

Related links:
http://www.destinationimagination.org
http://edworkforce.house.gov