Teachers Answering the Call in U.S. Cellular's 'Calling All Teachers' Campaign

CHICAGO, July 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The word is out and spreading fast that U.S. Cellular believes teachers deserve something better. In May, the wireless carrier announced the return of Calling All Teachers, a campaign that donates $1 million to fund creative and impactful classroom projects submitted by public school teachers. Since the announcement, more than 1,200 public school teachers across the country have signed up as "U.S. Cellular Teachers" on DonorsChoose.org.

"Everyday, hard-working teachers are finding new ways to give thousands of students across the country a good, well-rounded education," said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). "As schools are facing difficult choices about funding some of the most basic programs, investing in these innovative projects will help America's teachers lay the foundations for success."

For a second year, U.S. Cellular is partnering with DonorsChoose.org, a philanthropic Web site that helps public school teachers find money for classroom projects. The company and its associates strongly encourage teachers to register as "U.S. Cellular Teachers" on the site throughout the summer. Beginning August 1 through September 15, they can return to DonorsChoose.org and post their classroom projects for funding consideration.

"We are thrilled over the enthusiastic response this campaign is generating from the community," said Charles Best, founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org. "By registering, teachers have an opportunity to start the school year off in a way that's both exciting and engaging for students."

"School budgets have been hit hard by the economy, and teachers deserve to be rewarded for doing more with less," said U.S. Cellular President and CEO Mary N. Dillon. "What's so great about this program is that teachers can tailor their project requests to help their students succeed, and the materials and equipment will benefit thousands of children for years to come."

Teachers whose projects are selected for funding will be notified in late September and October. For more information, visit uscellular.com/callingallteachers.

Here's how to sign up as a U.S. Cellular Teacher:

1. Sign into your teacher account at DonorsChoose.org or create one, if you're a first-timer.
2. On your main account page, click "update affiliations" (or if you're creating a new account, you'll have the option to choose your Teacher Affiliations during the process).
3. Scroll down and check the box marked "U.S. Cellular Teacher," then click "Next" and follow the steps to return to your teacher account (or if you're creating a new account, you'll move forward in the registration process).
4. Now you are classified as a "U.S. Cellular Teacher" and your projects can be considered for funding in the fall.

About Calling All Teachers

During last year's Calling All Teachers campaign, U.S. Cellular funded more than 2,000 classroom projects benefitting nearly 175,000 students. More than 40 percent of the funded projects were in rural schools while another 26 percent were in urban schools. Due to the overwhelming response to the campaign, the company decided to increase its funding to $1.1 million to cover all of the projects in the areas where it does business.

About U.S. Cellular

The 9,000 associates of U.S. Cellular believe it's okay for customers to expect more from their wireless carrier. Committed to being a leader in transforming the customer experience in the wireless industry, U.S. Cellular is the only carrier to offer Overage Protection and Battery Swap programs to all of its customers. The Chicago-based company continues to introduce innovative, customer-focused programs that change the rules of the wireless industry.  U.S. Cellular believes in education and is giving millions to support teachers and schools. To learn more about what makes U.S. Cellular more than just a phone company, visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com. You can also check out U.S. Cellular on Facebook.

SOURCE U.S. Cellular