Communities In Schools Spotlights Unsung Heroes

AT&T Commits $1.5 million to Bring More of These "Heroes" to High Needs Schools

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Communities In Schools, the leading organization dedicated to empowering students to stay in school and achieve in life, today announced the five winners of the "Unsung Heroes" award, a nationwide competition underwritten by AT&T*.

These five extraordinary Communities In Schools site coordinators, selected from across the Communities In Schools network, exemplify the commitment of Communities In Schools to surround students with a community of support. The five Unsung Heroes are:

• Deborah Yarbrough, Kalamazoo, Michigan, described by a colleague as someone who will "love a student into getting the job done."
• Dr. Bernita Dinwiddie, Nassau County, Florida, who retired as a principal, and then volunteered full time for Communities In Schools, saying, "My vacation can wait, these kids can't."
• John Magary, Columbus, Ohio.  The principal of his school said, "I never knew there were resources in my community until John came along. Resources are now pouring out for the school."
• Louis DesChamps, Montgomery County, North Carolina.  For Mr. D, as his students call him, weekends mean nothing as he is on call 24/7 for each child.
• Robin Hempton Haggard, Charleston, South Carolina, about whom her principal said, "When one puts students first without needing constant recognition or guidance, that person is a true unsung hero."  

The five Unsung Heroes will be presented with their awards at a ceremony on Capitol Hill today. Each winner will receive a $1,000 honorarium for their school through the support provided by AT&T.  

"The critical work that Deborah Yarbrough does each and every day in our schools is instrumental to keeping at-risk students engaged in school and on track to graduate," said Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI).  "We applaud unsung heroes like Deborah and her peers being honored today by Communities In Schools and AT&T, who selflessly devote their time and resources to better the community and set an example for others to follow, helping put students on a path to reach their full potential and succeed in life."

AT&T's $1.5 million contribution to Communities In Schools will support the Unsung Heroes Award and will help to strengthen and advance their core program.  The funds are being used to hire 26 additional site coordinators in high needs schools in 14 communities.  These coordinators will help connect at-risk-students with academic support, mentoring, counseling, after-school programs, career development, intervention, health care and other resources.

"The heart of the Communities In Schools model are the site coordinators, who partner with principals and teachers to keep kids on track," said Daniel Cardinali, President of Communities In Schools.  "These five heroes exemplify all the Communities In Schools staff who devote their lives to helping kids overcome the challenges of poverty so that they can achieve their full potential in school and in life."

"We applaud the great work that these site coordinators are doing in providing our nation's most at-risk kids with the support they need to graduate from high school," said Laura Sanford, President of the AT&T Foundation. "Placing more support in high-need areas and working together with schools is a key factor in helping to curb the dropout rate."

The Communities In Schools local affiliates receiving funding from AT&T to hire new site coordinators are:

• Phoenix, Arizona
• Delaware
• Jacksonville, Florida
• Miami, Florida
• Palm Beach, Florida
• Athens, Georgia
• Chicago, Illinois
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• Mancelona, Michigan
• Cape Fear, North Carolina
• Charleston, South Carolina
• Greenville, South Carolina
• Spokane, Washington
• Tacoma, Washington

AT&T is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. As part of its commitment, AT&T launched Aspire in April 2008. AT&T Aspire is one of the largest-ever corporate commitments to address high school success and workforce readiness.

About Communities In Schools

Communities In Schools surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Through a school-based coordinator, Communities In Schools connects students and their families to critical community resources, tailored to local needs. Working in more than 3,200 schools, in the most challenged communities, in 26 states, and the District of Columbia, Communities In Schools serves nearly 1.4 million young people and their families every year. It has become the nation's leading dropout prevention organization, and the only one proven to increase graduation rates.  Visit our website at www.communitiesinschools.org.

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. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse^® and AT&T - DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE^® magazine.

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.  This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz  to discover more about our small business services.

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 has a long history of supporting projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; and address community needs. In 2009, more than $155 million was contributed through corporate-, employee- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs.

*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.

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SOURCE Communities In Schools