NEWS FROM OAS.ORG EL SALVADOR

El Salvador, a Platform of Opportunities for Young Salvadorians

The Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) and the National Directorate of Youth of the Ministry of Social Inclusion of El Salvador recently announced TIC El Salvador 2011, an opportunity for Salvadorian youth to present their business ideas within the framework of the Talent and Innovation Competition of the Americas (TIC Americas). Young Salvadorians between the ages of 15 and 29 can participate by registering their business ideas before April 1, 2011. "With the National Competition for El Salvador, we aim to motivate Salvadorian youth, to foster in them creativity, talent and a spirit of entrepreneurship, while also promoting the creation of new businesses that will allow the youth of El Salvador to have better living conditions," stated Miguel Ángel Pereira, National Director of Youth of El Salvador. TIC El Salvador is a platform of opportunities for young people that aims to identify the best initiatives that have a positive impact on Salvadorian youth and will serve as a stage to demonstrate to the Americas the great talent and capacity for innovation that exists in the country. TIC El Salvador was announced as the third special category within TIC Americas 2011. In November 2010, YABT and PepsiCo announced the Talent and Innovation category, focused on social projects and business ventures, and the Eco Challenge, focused on solutions to current environmental problems. By participating in TIC Americas and being among the winners, young entrepreneurs can access a range of benefits such as networking opportunities, support in accessing markets, international visibility, mentoring and cash prizes. Registration is free and available through the TIC Americas website, www.ticamericas.net. Requirements for Participating in TIC El Salvador 2011 • Be a Salvadorian citizen between the ages of 15 and 29. • Submit a business plan that gives evidence of a positive impact on Salvadorian youth. • Develop a promotional video for your project (professional or amateur). • Create a blog and Facebook page for your project. • TIC El Salvador teams must include a minimum of three members (Chief Executive Officer, Financial Officer, Technology Officer) • The business proposal must be completed in Spanish. Through a rigorous evaluation process, the top eight Salvadorian teams will be selected to represent the country in the TIC Americas Finals that will be held June 2-3 in San Salvador in the framework of the XLI General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS). There, the Finalists will demonstrate their talents and innovative capacity and compete to be among the three winners of TIC El Salvador. For more information, contact Carlos Mario López, YABT Program Manager, via email atcmlopez@oas.org or Camilo Pineda of the National Directorate of Youth of El Salvador at sisjuventud@gmail.com or Tel: 503 2244 2773 or recoletanews@ybiz.net for www.oas.org Huirse Bellina Jorge Alberto 54.11.3584.2686 From www.oas.org: press office for HUIRSE BELLINA JORGE ALBERTO DIRECTOR & INTERNATIONAL PRESS RECOLETA NEWS