WASHINGTON, July 11, 2008 — The League of United
Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the AT&T
Foundation, the corporate philanthropy
organization of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced
today that LULAC will receive a $1 million grant
from the AT&T Foundation’s Aspire initiative, to
implement LULAC’s Adelante America program,
which will provide academic classes, mentoring
and student leadership development for
underserved, at-risk Latino teens in grades
eight through 10.
"This
important educational initiative in our
community will help ensure that our nation's
rich high-tech future and digital empowerment is
within reach of our Latino youth," said LULAC
president Rosa Rosales. "A good education is the
key to a successful future. And as a long-time
leader in broadband and mobile communications,
and a long term dependable partner of the
Hispanic community, AT&T is once again
demonstrating their corporate leadership by
keeping the American Dream accessible to Latino
students all across the country."
The $1
million grant will be spread out over two years
and will serve a total of 910 at-risk
participants in the eighth through the 10th
grade. The Adelante America program will develop
services and activities that will link classroom
learning with the challenges that students face
in post-secondary education and the workplace of
the future. The goals include increasing rates
of on-time promotion to the next grade;
improvement of academic performance as measured
by grades and test scores; improvement of
interpersonal relationships between the children
and their peers, teachers, family and other
adults; reduction of the dropout rate,
delinquency and gang involvement; and achieving
a higher graduation rate for its participants.
“As one
of the most well-respected advocacy
organizations in the country, LULAC will help
ensure that Latino students have the tools they
need to live up to their maximum educational
potential,” said Susan Santana, assistant vice
president, External Affairs, AT&T. “We are
honored to play a small part in helping today’s
Latino youth become tomorrow’s world leaders.”
The AT&T
Foundation’s Aspire program was launched earlier
this year, in an attempt to address the fact
that nearly one-third of U.S. high school
students drop out every year, which amounts to
one student dropping out every 26 seconds — a
disproportionate number of whom are Hispanics.
The $100 million philanthropic effort announced
in April reflects AT&T’s commitment to help to
strengthen student success and workforce
readiness.
Currently, Latinos are vastly underperforming
when compared with other groups. The percentage
of adults over the age of 25 that has earned a
bachelor’s degree or higher is 27.2 percent.
Among Latinos, that percentage is only 12.2
percent. In addition, Hispanic secondary school
students have the highest dropout rates of any
ethnic or racial group in the U.S.
About
LULAC
The League of the United Latin American Citizen
(www.lulac.org) advances the economic
conditions, educational attainment, political
influence, health and civil rights of Hispanic
Americans through community-based programs
operating at more than 700 LULAC councils
nationwide.
About
AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications
holding company. Its subsidiaries and
affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the
providers of AT&T services in the United States
and around the world. Among their offerings are
the world's most advanced IP-based business
communications services and the nation's leading
wireless, high speed Internet access and voice
services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for
the directory publishing and advertising sales
leadership of its Yellow Pages and
YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T
brand is licensed to innovators in such fields
as communications equipment. As part of its
three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is
expanding its TV entertainment offerings. In
2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 on Fortune
magazine’s World’s Most Admired
Telecommunications Company list and No. 1 on
America’s Most Admired Telecommunications
Company list. Additional information about AT&T
Inc. and the products and services provided by
AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at
http://www.att.com.
About
Philanthropy at AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is committed to advancing
education, strengthening communities and
improving lives. Through its philanthropic
initiatives and partnerships, AT&T supports
projects that create learning opportunities;
promote academic and economic achievement; and
address community needs. In 2007, AT&T
contributed more than $164 million through
corporate-, employee- and AT&T Foundation-giving
programs. AT&T and the AT&T Foundation, the
corporate philanthropy organization of AT&T,
combine more than $1.9 billion of historic
charitable commitment to communities across the
country.
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