National 4-H Council and HughesNet® Ask America to Vote to "Inspire a Future Scientist"

CHEVY CHASE, Md., July 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, 10 talented young people from across the U.S. were named finalists in the "Inspire a Future Scientist" video contest and are one step closer to winning $1,000 and a trip to 4-H National Youth Science Day. Young people from around the country submitted videos of up to 15 seconds to demonstrate their love of science and show how science is connected to everyday life. Americans can now visit http://www.4-h.org/about/partners/hughesnetinspireafuturescientist.aspx and cast their ballot for the winning video. The voting deadline is August 1, 2014.

National 4-H Council and HughesNet, the nation's #1 satellite Internet service from Hughes, created the contest as part of their commitment to introduce more American youth to the excitement of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). A panel of judges, including U.S. Olympic speed skater and video enthusiast J.R. Celski, then narrowed down the entries to 10 finalists. The finalists also have to answer the question, "How would you use $1,000 to further your love of science?"

Once chosen, the winner will receive a $1,000 prize, a 4-H science kit and a trip to participate in 4-H National Youth Science Day (4-H NYSD) event on October 8, 2014 in Washington, D.C. A runner-up will also receive a 4-H science kit and a trip to 4-H NYSD, and all finalists will receive a 4-H science kit.

The opportunity for students with high STEM aptitudes has never been stronger. According to one study, 2.8 million STEM jobs will be created and ready for skilled employees by 2018. "Inspire a Future Scientist" is designed to spark interest in STEM learning and careers by helping young people use creativity to connect science to everyday things they experience and enjoy.

"We need to get more young people excited about pursuing a STEM education and career in order to fill the STEM jobs of tomorrow," said Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO, National 4-H Council. "For more than 100 years, 4-H has been at the forefront of teaching young people about science in many innovative ways. We are thrilled and proud of our partnership with HughesNet to inspire the next generation of scientists and urge Americans to show your interest by casting your ballot for the winning video."

"As a leader in providing superior satellite broadband Internet service for small, local rural and ex-urban communities in America, we have made it a mission to do what we can to help create the STEM leaders of tomorrow,"said Mike Cook, senior vice president, Hughes North American Division."We look forward to seeing who America chooses as its top 'Future Scientist.'"

About 4-H:
4-H, the nation's largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. In the United States, 4-H programs empower six million young people through the 109 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension in more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the United States, independent, country-led 4-H organizations empower one million young people in more than 50 countries. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System and 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4-H and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/4H.

About HughesNetwork Systems:
Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes) is the world's leading provider of satellite broadband for home and office, delivering innovative network technologies, managed services, and solutions for enterprises and governments globally. HughesNet is the #1 high-speed satellite Internet service in the marketplace, with offerings to suit every budget. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 4 million systems to customers in over 100 countries, representing approximately 50 percent market share. Its products employ global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A, and GMR-1.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes operates sales and support offices worldwide, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), a premier global provider of satellite operations and digital TV solutions. For additional information about Hughes, please visit www.hughes.com.

Hughes and HughesNet are registered trademarks of Hughes Network Systems, LLC, an EchoStar Company.

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SOURCE Hughes Network Systems, LLC

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