Newswise — House Ear Institute (HEI) is in the running for $250,000 in the Pepsi Refresh Project for the month of June. HEI must be one of the top two organizations to garner the most votes to receive the $250,000 grant. Voting ends June 30, 2010.

To vote for House Ear Institute go to the website at: http://www.refresheverything.com/houseearinstituteteencampaign. People can register at the site and login to vote once a day.

House Ear Institute plans to use the grant for education and outreach of its Sound Partners® teen hearing conservation initiative – It’s How You Listen that Counts®. Recognizing teenagers are at increasingly high risk for hearing damage from noise, the institute is working to educate teens about noise induced hearing loss. The message is focused on prevention.

Teenagers are known to be a challenging audience to reach concerning health issues. The institute was the first organization to make inroads with teens in the area of hearing conservation.

Pepsi is accepting approximately 1000 ideas every month for four different dollar amounts: $5,000; $25,000; $50,000 and $250,000. In addition, there are six different grant categories. House Ear Institute is in the education category.

About the House Ear Institute The House Ear Institute (HEI) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing hearing science through research and education to improve quality of life. HEI scientists investigate the cellular and molecular causes of hearing loss and related auditory disorders as well as neurological processes pertaining to the human auditory system and the brain. Our researchers also explore technology advancements to improve auditory implants, diagnostic techniques and rehabilitation tools. The Institute shares its knowledge with the scientific and medical communities as well as the general public through its education and outreach programs.