New York Urban League Opens Technology Education Center at Harlem Renaissance High School

NEW YORK, April 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon, the New York Urban League and the New York City Department of Education launched on Monday (April 12) the New York Urban League Technology Education Center at Harlem Renaissance High School.

The New York Urban League will receive a $300,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation for the center's operations in 2010-11. The Harlem Renaissance High School principal, Mary Rice Boothe, said, "Successful partnerships with the community are the bedrock for our success at the Harlem Renaissance High School. This venue for the Technology Education Center, in partnership with the New York Urban League, exemplifies this belief."

Said Arva Rice, president and CEO of the New York Urban League, "Thanks to support from Verizon and the Verizon Foundation, we are able to continue providing technology education for students and the community in Harlem and beyond, in turn making sure that as many people as possible benefit from the rich world of information and entertainment on the Internet."

The Urban League will use the grant to offer Internet-skills workshops and Internet access for students and the public, which will assist in searches for employment and educational opportunities, and navigating city services. The educational content for students will include access and training in the use of media and technology tools.

Jim Gerace, president of Verizon's New York region, said, "Verizon looks forward to working with the Urban League and Department of Education along with community partners to continue supporting education and outreach efforts within the community.

"This grant underscores Verizon's century-plus commitment to New Yorkers, and continues nearly 15 years of supporting technology-based initiatives in the Harlem community," Gerace said.

About the New York Urban League

The New York Urban League (NYUL) has a rich history and long legacy of service to New Yorkers. The NYUL was founded in 1919 by an inter-racial group of concerned New Yorkers in response to the difficulties faced by African Americans migrating from the agricultural and rural south, to the industrial, urban centers of the north. Today, the mission of the New York Urban League (NYUL) is to enable African Americans and other underserved communities to secure a first class education, economic self-reliance and equal respect of their civil rights through programs, services and advocacy. Some of their signature programs include the Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner, the Whitney M. Young Classic and the Champions of Diversity Breakfast. The New York Urban League, Inc. is one of the local affiliates of the National Urban League, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, multi-ethnic, social service organization celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. For more information on the New York Urban League, go to www.nyul.org.

About the New York City Department of Education

The New York City Department of Education is the largest system of public schools in the United States, serving about 1.1 million students in over 1,600 schools. For more information visit http://schools.nyc.gov.

About the Verizon Foundation

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its free educational Web site, Verizon Thinkfinity (www.thinkfinity.org), and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence. In 2009, the Verizon Foundation awarded $67.9 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in $26.1 million in combined contributions to nonprofits. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 5 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 91 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of approximately 222,900 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon