AT&T, City Year L.A., Students Team Up To Honor Teachers At Manual Arts High School For Teacher Appreciation Week

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May 04, 2015, 02:45 ET

LOS ANGELES, May 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, AT&T, City Year Los Angeles, and local students are kicking off National Teacher Appreciation Week by thanking and honoring teachers at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles.

AT&T employee and student volunteers created chalk drawings and messages of gratitude for teachers throughout the Manual Arts High School campus. City Year Los Angeles provided lunches and care packages to more than 100 teachers at the school.

The volunteers came together through the Diplomas Now program, an AT&T-supported collaboration between City Year, Communities in Schools and John Hopkins University providing community services and high-intensity support for students to graduate from high school ready for college and careers. The Diplomas Now program at Manual Arts High School is delivered through City Year Los Angeles and has helped increase the school's graduation rate from 69 percent to 75 percent in the 2013-2014 school year. For more information on the Diplomas Now program, please visit: http://diplomasnow.org/our-impact.

"We are very proud of our partnership with AT&T and so grateful for the company's support. Not only does AT&T provide the resources to deploy City Year AmeriCorps members for a year of full-time service, they also contribute their time to get involved with our work," said Paco Flores, Director of Corporate Partnerships, City Year Los Angeles.

Through AT&T Aspire, AT&T's signature education initiative, AT&T recently made a $1 million contribution to City Year, Inc. to support City Year's service in schools in Los Angeles, Columbus, Chicago, Little Rock, Sacramento and Dallas. AT&T's support is expected to impact a total of 2,500 students in seven schools, who will receive academic and social-emotional interventions provided by teams of City Year AmeriCorps members.

AT&T Aspire brings together AT&T employees, nonprofits and community members to help equip students with the skills they need to lead the digital, global economy.

About Philanthropy and Social Innovation at AT&T

AT&T Inc. is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; or address community needs. In 2013, more than $130 million was contributed or directed through corporate-, employee-, social investment- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs. AT&T Aspire is AT&T's signature education initiative that drives innovation in education by bringing diverse resources to bear on the issue including funding, technology, employee volunteerism, and mentoring.

About City Year

City Year is an education-focused organization founded in 1988 dedicated to helping students and schools succeed. City Year partners with public schools in 26 urban, high-poverty communities across the U.S. and through international affiliates in the U.K. and Johannesburg, South Africa. Diverse teams of City Year AmeriCorps members provide high-impact student, classroom and school-wide support, to help students stay in school and on track to graduate from high school, ready for college and career success. A proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network, City Year is made possible by support from the Corporation for National and Community Service, school district partnerships, and private philanthropy from corporations, foundations and individuals. Learn more at www.cityyear.org. © 2015 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

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SOURCE AT&T