Civil Service Employees Insurance Group Launches 2009 Youth Scholarship Program for High School Seniors.

Company Offers $12,000 in Scholarship Awards to Promote Awareness of Driver Safety Among Young People

SAN FRANCISCO -- Civil Service Employees Insurance Group (CSE Insurance), a leader in providing civil service employees with quality protection at affordable rates, today launched the 2009 CSE Youth Scholarship Program, an annual essay competition designed to promote awareness of driver safety among young people.

This is the 13th year CSE has sponsored the program, which is open to eligible high school seniors in Arizona, California, and Nevada who are children of public employees.

As part of the program, CSE will designate $12,000 in scholarships to winning entrants based on their essays of 500 words or less that discuss ways in which the teenage automobile accident rate can be reduced. Essays are evaluated on originality, creativity and written proficiency.

The competition is divided into three geographic regions: Northern California, Southern California, and Arizona/Nevada. In each region, CSE will offer scholarships in the amount of $1,500 for first place, $1,000 for second place, and $500 each for third through fifth places. The scholarship awards are to be applied toward the students' school-related expenses for the 2009-2010 academic year.

"Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers," said Pierre Bize, President and CEO of CSE Insurance. "As part of our 60-year commitment to protecting our communities, CSE Insurance is proud to sponsor a program that encourages teens to realize the responsibilities they hold every time they drive."

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for the competition, a student must be attending his or her senior year of high school. The applicant must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and must have been accepted to an accredited two- or four-year college or university, or trade school, in the United States with intent to enroll as a full-time freshman by the Fall 2009 session.

In addition, the applicant's parent or legal guardian must be a currently-employed or retired full-time peace officer, firefighter, educator, postal employee, military personnel, or other federal, state, or local government worker.

All submissions must be received by Friday, April 3, 2009.

Further details, program instructions and a downloadable application form can be found at www.cseinsurance.com/scholarship.htm.

About CSE Insurance

Now celebrating its 60th year in business, Civil Service Employees Insurance Group (CSE Insurance) serves the people who serve the people by providing top quality property and casualty insurance for teachers and other educators, firefighters, law enforcement personnel, and other government and civil service employees at affordable rates. Originally focused on promoting the interests and welfare of civil servants, CSE Insurance has also offered its products and services to the general public for two decades.

With a financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) by insurance industry analyst A. M. Best, CSE Insurance offers a wide range of insurance products, including auto, home, liability, boat, and commercial. CSE Insurance products are sold through independent insurance agents in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, and also through www.cseinsurance.com.