Culver Academies Receives Prestigious Grand Gold Award for Batten Leadership Challenge

CULVER, Ind., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Culver Academies was recently awarded the Circle of Excellence Grand Gold Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), its highest honor, in recognition of the school's successful achievement of the Batten Leadership Challenge. The Batten Leadership Challenge raised $100 million for Culver's endowment and was part of Culver's comprehensive campaign, By Example: The Campaign for Culver, which is the most successful fund-raising campaign in the history of American secondary schools, raising $376 million over eight years.  

The Batten Leadership Challenge was a unique opportunity for Culver to build its endowment during a difficult economic environment. Frank Batten, alumnus and the founder of the Weather Channel, and his wife, Jane, funded the Batten Leadership Challenge, a $50 million matching grant in the fall of 2008. In 16 months, the Batten Leadership Challenge raised $100 million for the school's endowment, making Culver's endowment one of the largest among secondary schools nationwide.

Culver was the only Grand Gold winner among 76 entries in the category of Fundraising Programs: "Principal, Major, or Special Giving Programs." The Gold winners were awarded to universities, including Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Texas (Austin), University of California (Berkeley), and Syracuse University.

"We're pleased that the Batten Leadership Challenge was recognized with this prestigious honor," said John Buxton, head of schools at Culver.  "We're also proud of the Culver community of students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni, who came together to meet the very generous challenge Frank and Jane set for us to ensure that Culver can continue to deliver the outstanding education it provides for years to come."

The Circle of Excellence Awards, CASE's premier international awards program, exclusively recognizes the work of CASE members. The awards acknowledge superior accomplishments that have lasting impact, demonstrate the highest level of professionalism, and deliver exceptional results. Winning programs epitomize the profession's best practices, raise standards, and contribute to a growing body of knowledge about advancement.  

Grand Gold awards are reserved for entries that are clearly pre-eminent among gold-level winners in each specific category. Grand Gold winners are honored in a display at CASE's Summit for Advancement Leaders conference in New York in July, and receive recognition in CASE's CURRENTS magazine.  

The Batten Leadership Challenge also received recognition when the Battens were awarded the 2010 Seymour Preston Award from CASE, presented annually to an independent school trustee for exceptional commitment and leadership in developing voluntary support for his or her institution.

About The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education

The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), based in Washington, D.C., is the professional organization for advancement professionals at all levels who work in alumni relations, communications, fund raising, marketing and other areas.  

About Culver Academies

Located on a scenic 1,800-acre lakeside campus in northern Indiana, Culver Academies offer a coeducational college preparatory boarding school for grades 9-12 and an unparalleled summer experience through the Culver Summer Schools & Camps for boys and girls ages 7-17.

Culver educates its students for leadership and responsible citizenship in society.  This is in addition to its rigorous and well-respected academic and extracurricular activities.

Founded in 1894, the boys' school, Culver Military Academy, teaches young men leadership, self-discipline, and responsibility. The Culver Girls Academy, founded in 1971, is based upon the English prefect system of student leadership to achieve similar values for young women.

Culver's boarding school enrollment of approximately 800 is comprised of a global student body from more than 40 states and 25 countries, including China, Mexico, Europe, South Korea, and Canada.  More than one third of students receive need-based financial aid. The same approach to leadership is taught in the Culver Summer Schools & Camps, which enroll 1,400 boys and girls from over 40 states, and 35 countries.

Accomplished Culver alumni include: George R. Roberts, co-founder and partner, KKR, San Francisco; George M. Steinbrenner, former owner New York Yankees; Frank Batten, founder,  The Weather Channel, Virginia Beach, Va.; actor Hal Holbrook, Beverly Hills, Calif.; K.S. "Bud" Adams, owner, Tennessee Titans, Houston; Miles D. White, Chairman and CEO, Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Ill.; Michael R. Huffington, former U.S. Senator, Houston; Samuel C. Butler, former managing partner, Cravath Swaine & Moore, New York City; William A. Osborn, former CEO, Northern Trust Co., Chicago; Charles T. Brumback, former CEO, Tribune Companies, Chicago; Craig S. Duchossois, CEO, Duchossois Industries, Chicago; Bernardo Quintana, chairman, Empressas ICA, Mexico City; James A. Henderson, former CEO, Cummins Inc., Columbus, Ind.;

Bill Koch, winner America's Cup, president and CEO, Oxbow Corp., West Palm Beach, Fla.; William A. "Tex" Moncrief Sr., independent oil and gas owner, Fort Worth, Texas; James F. Dicke II, chairman, Crown Equipment Company, New Bremen, Ohio; and Robert J. Vlasic, former chairman, Campbell Soup, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; Summer Alumni include: Roger S. Penske, chairman, Penske Corporation, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; Evan Bayh, U.S. Senator, Washington, D.C.; John Zeglis, former chairman, AT&T Wireless, Culver, Ind.; and former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, McLean, Va.

For more information, contact the Communications Department at 574-842-8262 or visit www.culver.org

SOURCE Culver Academies

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