January 29, 1999

MERRILLVILLE --- Gary Dean, one of the leading youth speakers in the country, will present his "Teen Power" school assembly program to 34 schools in Lake and Porter counties from February 1 through March 10. The program is being sponsored by Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) as part of its ongoing community service efforts.

The program is designed to confront some of the problems facing today’s students. Mr. Dean shows students that they already have the power to overcome the negative influences they face such as drugs, alcohol, and peer pressure. He uses drama and humor to illustrate that the power lies within each student to become successful in life. He shows the students that the power is the ability they have to control their own destiny. Mr. Dean challenges the students to be anything they want in life, to set goals, and establish directions.

NIPSCO, a subsidiary of NIPSCO Industries, Inc. (NI), is a regulated utility that provides natural gas and electricity to a population of approximately 2.2 million across the northern third of Indiana. With nearly 700,000 gas customers and 416,000 electric customers, NIPSCO is the largest natural gas distribution company and the second largest electric distribution company in the state of Indiana. Information about NIPSCO Industries and its subsidiaries is available via the Internet at www.nipsco.com.

Andrean High School 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. (1)

Wheeler High School 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. (2)

Lake Central High School 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. (2)

Parent Program: Lake Central High School Freshmen Auditorium 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Morton High School 8:45 a.m. (1)

Gavit High School 12:15 – 2:00 p.m. (2)

Parent Program: Morton High School Auditorium 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Kouts High School 8:15 – 10:00 a.m. (2)

Morgan Township High School 1:00 p.m. (1)

Parent Program: Washington Township High School 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Hebron High School 8:10 – 10:00 a.m.

Westside High School 1:00 – 2:45 p.m. (2)

River Forest High School 2:15 p.m. (1)

Clark High School 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 a.m. (3)

Parent Program: Griffith High School Auditorium 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.

Hammond High School 8:45 – 10:30 a.m.

Griffith High School 1:10 p.m. (1)

Parent Program: Valparaiso School District – Ben Franklin Middle School 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.

Roosevelt High School 9:30 a.m. (1)

Parent Program: Whiting School Auditorium 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Lew Wallace High School 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. (2)

Emerson High School 1:15 p.m. (1)

Bishop Noll High School 8:15 – 9:50 a.m. (2)

Crown Point High School 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. (2)

Parent Program: Crown Point High School Auditorium 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Merrillville High School 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. (2)

Chesterton High School 1:00 – 2:40 p.m. (2)

Parent Program: East Chicago Central High School Auditorium 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Valparaiso High School 8:30 – 10:15 a.m. (2)

Washington Township High School 12:00 p.m. (1)

Horace Mann High School 10:30 a.m. (1)

Munster High School A.M. (Time TBA)

Merrillville Pierce JHS 12:45 p.m.

Merrillville Harrison JHS 2:00 p.m.

East Chicago Central High School A.M. (Time TBA)

Edison High School 1:15 – 2:40 p.m. (2)

Parent Program: Edison High School Auditorium 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.