(BLACK PR WIRE)--TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) from all across the nation are making final preparations to vie for academic glory at the nation’s only HBCU academic competition - the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (www.hcasc.com). This two-day competition will test students’ knowledge of history, science, literature, religion, the arts, social science, and popular culture while giving them the opportunity to win much needed grant money for their schools. In all, more than $300,000 in institutional grants will be awarded.

The 22nd annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) will take place at the Hilton Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL from April 10–12. This year’s “Great 48” includes schools from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, South Carolina, Delaware, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, New York, Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, Oklahoma, Virginia, Texas, West Virginia, and Washington DC. Each school will be split into eight divisions and compete in a modified round robin format. The top two teams from each division advance to the “Sweet 16” for a single elimination playoff competition. The final two teams will compete for the National Champion title and the grand prize of $50,000.

HCASC is one of Honda’s largest and longest running philanthropic initiatives in the United States. Throughout its 22-year tenure, the program has touched over 50,000 students and awarded more than $6 million in grants. In addition to providing students a venue for friendly competition, the program encourages relationship building, intellectual excellence, and the development of values that define good character.

Quotes:

From student competitor:

“The intensity of the practices that we had with one another were so competitive that we knew it would carry over into the national championships. We felt like we just needed to keep working hard and keep believing and playing the game and not let anything else affect us.” - Cedrick Wilson, team captain of 2010 winning team, Prairie View A&M University.

From Honda executive:

“In 1989, the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge was created to highlight the great minds and talent present at our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Today, 22 years later, we at Honda are proud to still be a part of HCASC as it continues to exemplify HBCUs’ academic excellence, enrich our nation’s youth, and invest in one of the country’s largest pipelines for professional, artistic, and academic talent.” - Marc Burt, senior manager, Office of Inclusion and Diversity, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

More information

For more information on the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge and a list of the 48 participating HBCUs please visit http://www.hcasc.com/nct11/great48.asp.

About Honda

Based on its belief of The Power of Dreams, Honda supports a variety of initiatives to advance education and create experiences of discovery that help people see and achieve their own dreams. The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge and the Honda Battle of the Bands are two of Honda’s philanthropic programs that demonstrate Honda’s commitment to supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities and to helping young people follow their dreams.

HCASC Electronic Press Kit: http://www.epklink.com/hondaallstar/

HCASC on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HCASC

HCASC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/hcasc

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6658416&lang=en.