AT&T Employees Mentor 1 Million Hours, Surpassing Goal

TRENTON, N.J., Jan. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In less than 4 years, AT&T* employees provided students with 1 million hours of mentoring, here in New Jersey and across the globe. Employee mentors participate in AT&T's Aspire Mentoring Academy, which was launched in the fall of 2012 with the objective of providing 1 million hours of mentoring to students by its employees before the end of 2016.

Reaching this milestone nearly 1 year early is a testament to the commitment and enthusiasm of AT&T employees. As mentors, employees connect with students to help them discover their passions and potential. The experience has a positive impact on both the adults and students.  Watch here.

"At AT&T, our employees give back to their communities in many ways.  I'm proud of our employees who give their time and talent to serve as mentors through Aspire Mentoring Academy. They're not only inspiring these students to stay in school, they're helping prepare the next generation of business and technology leaders in New Jersey," said J. Michael Schweder, president, AT&T Mid Atlantic.

In New Jersey, AT&T employees are connected with best-in-class nonprofits that support students who will benefit the most from mentoring. Since the launch of Aspire Mentoring Academy in the fall of 2012, 7,293 students were provided 52,825 mentoring hours in New Jersey.

Ronell Solomon, a student at Barringer Academy of the Arts and Humanities in Newark who participates in the Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) program at the school, said the Aspire Mentoring Academy helped him build his confidence as he prepares for college and career.

"Prior to my participation in this program I was shy and didn't like speaking in front of people and lacked the confidence of working and making key decisions. Working with several mentors from AT&T in a team setting they provided to me the encouragement and confidence that I would need in and out of the classroom especially in my transition from classroom to college or a career," Solomon said.

A caring adult is a key factor in helping ensure a student graduates from high school. Student success in school and beyond is a primary focus of AT&T Aspire, the company's signature philanthropic initiative. One in 3 young people do not have a mentor when growing up, according to recent research commissioned by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership and supported by AT&T. The 1 million hour milestone is just the beginning of AT&T's efforts to close this gap. The next phase of Aspire Mentoring Academy will use the power of technology to connect with even more students in more places around the world.

"A mentor is a critical asset in helping a young person achieve success and one that drives expanded support and opportunity. AT&T employees bring us closer to that goal with Aspire Mentoring Academy," said David Shapiro, CEO, MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership. "One million mentoring hours is a major accomplishment. It helps us close the mentoring gap and equip more young people with the skills and confidence they need to be successful. We are excited to work with AT&T to expand their reach to even more students by supporting employees and leveraging innovation and collaboration in the mentoring field."

AT&T is teaming up with innovative organizations, such as Nepris, iCouldBe and We Teach Science that use technology to provide mentorship opportunities. These organizations will help connect more students and mentors for whom in-person mentoring is not possible. 

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About Philanthropy & 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. AT&T Aspire is AT&T's signature philanthropic initiative that drives innovation in education by bringing diverse resources to bear on the issue including funding, technology, employee volunteerism, and mentoring. Through Aspire, we've passed the $250 million mark on our plan to invest $350 million in education from 2008-2017.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, mobile, high speed Internet and voice services. We're the world's largest provider of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. In the U.S., our wireless network has the nation's strongest 4G LTE signal and most reliable 4G LTE. We offer the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider*. And we help businesses worldwide serve their customers better with our mobility and highly secure cloud solutions.

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Signal strength and reliability claims based on nationwide carriers' 4G LTE. Signal strength claim based ONLY on avg. 4G LTE signal strength. 4G LTE not available everywhere.

*Global coverage claim based on offering discounted voice and data roaming; LTE roaming; voice roaming; and world-capable smartphone and tablets in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier. International service required.  Coverage not available in all areas. Coverage may vary per country and be limited/restricted in some countries.

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