Bridgepoint Education, Inc. (NYSE: BPI), a provider of post-secondary education services focused on providing higher access to higher education, has become the presenting sponsor for The Jenna Druck Foundation’s Young Women’s Leadership Program. Together, Bridgepoint Education and The Jenna Druck Foundation will help to transform young women in San Diego into the community’s future leaders.   

“We are honored to announce this special new partnership,” said Wanda Lee Bailey, executive director of The Jenna Druck Foundation. “Bridgepoint Education has demonstrated incredible community leadership by sharing staff to serve as volunteers on our Board of Directors and as mentors. Now Bridgepoint Education is supporting each of the hundreds of girls that go through our Young Women’s Leadership Program. This is a great example of how, through partnering together, we make an even bigger impact in the community.”

Bridgepoint Education will support the various components of the Young Women’s Leadership Program in 2010, all of which are designed to promote self-esteem, academic success and personal achievement in young women. These components include:

• Spirit of Leadership Conferences – Hundreds of high school and middle school girls are brought together for a day of workshops, keynote speakers and mentoring.

• Leadership Workshops – This is a quarterly event where guest speakers share their experiences and perspectives on important topics facing young women today.

• Girl Talk Sessions – Meeting every other month, these facilitated group sessions allow young women to interact with peers in a supportive, empowering environment.

• Mentorship Program – Young women learn about setting and achieving goals directly from successful women, including mayors, congresswomen and other prestigious community leaders.

The Young Women’s Leadership Program emphasizes the importance of education as a key foundation for overall success in life. Young women who participate in educational leadership programs are more likely to stay in school, have higher self-esteem, possess better interpersonal skills and have greater career prospects.

“The Jenna Druck Foundation’s Young Women’s Leadership Program is a natural fit for Bridgepoint Education,” said Bridgepoint Education chief executive officer Andrew Clark. “We believe in supporting youth and promoting education as a way to improve lives, just as the Young Women’s Leadership Program is enhancing the lives of hundreds of young women in San Diego through education.”

About Bridgepoint Education
Bridgepoint Education’s postsecondary education services focus on offering associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in such disciplines as business, education, psychology, social sciences and health sciences. Bridgepoint Education’s regionally accredited academic institutions – Ashford University and University of the Rockies – deliver their programs online as well as at traditional campuses located in Clinton, Iowa, and Colorado Springs, Colorado. For more information about Bridgepoint Education, visit www.bridgepointeducation.com or call Shari Rodriguez, director of Public Relations at 858.668.2580.

About The Jenna Druck Foundation

The Jenna Druck Foundation was established in 1996 to honor the life and spirit of Jenna Druck.  The Jenna Druck Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization offering two unique programs.  Young women's Leadership provides a path for young women to become leaders in their own lives.  Families Helping Families provides a lifeline for families who have lost a loved one.  For more information about The Jenna Druck Foundation, call 619.294.8000 or visit the Foundation's web site at jennadruck.org.