AT&T Commits $18 Million To Youth Programs With Mentoring At White House Event

Funding is in addition to 1 million hours of mentoring being provided by AT&T employees

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Jul 21, 2014, 09:50 ET

WASHINGTON, July 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson joined President Obama today to commit $18 million to education programs with a youth mentoring component. This funding supports the company's goal of providing youth across the country 1 million hours of mentoring by AT&T employees through the end of 2016.

"Research shows that the presence of a mentor in a young person's life significantly improves their potential for success. That's why thousands of AT&T employees volunteer to mentor students across the country," said Randall Stephenson, AT&T Chairman and CEO. "I am proud to be a part of this initiative with the president."

At today's event, the White House released a new report from the My Brother's Keeper initiative. The findings reinforce previous research and calls to action found in the Building a Grad Nation Report and Mentoring Effect Report, both released earlier this year and supported by AT&T. The research makes clear that the presence of caring adults is essential to helping young people succeed in academics, life decisions and careers.

For the 2014-2015 school year, AT&T Aspire - a $350 million commitment focused on high school success and workforce readiness for students at risk of dropping out of school – will expand employee mentoring efforts through the Aspire Mentoring Academy. These employees work with underserved middle and high school students to provide academic tutoring, expose students to a variety of career paths and connect the importance of learning in the classroom to their future. Today, employees are more than half-way to meeting the 1 million hour mentoring goal set in 2012.

As part of today's announcement, AT&T will launch a new public-private partnership with AmeriCorps and MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership to provide mentoring to thousands of young people at risk of dropping out of high school.

In addition to AT&T's collaboration with AmeriCorps and MENTOR, Aspire will reach more students and provide experiences tailored to the unique needs of each local community through programs that include:

Boys & Girls Clubs of America will work with AT&T employees at Club locations across the country in after school mentoring activities and at AT&T locations during the summer break.
Communities In Schools will expand work with AT&T to connect employees with opportunities to mentor students in cities across the country - both at AT&T offices and in schools.
AT&T will announce this fall the winners of a national Aspire funding competition that focuses on high school success and college- and career-readiness programs. The recipients will implement verifiable, evidenced-based high school dropout prevention initiatives with the presence of a mentor as part of a comprehensive program that addresses student needs.

Throughout many of the programs, technology will be incorporated into mentoring opportunities through online tools, teaching the development of mobile apps, and by providing students with IT certification opportunities and STEM skills development.

About Philanthropy 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 AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's most reliable 4G LTE network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best global wireless coverage, based on offering roaming in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier, and offers the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV service with the AT&T U-verse^® brand. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.
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