SBC Press Release October 31,2001

Telecommunications Partnership Awards Announced

Awards Recognize Innovative Partnerships That Help Make Technology Accessible to Underserved Communities

San Antonio, Texas, October 31, 2001

Whether it's a retrofitted bus driving down their street or the latest in telecommunications technology in the classroom, educators, community-based organizations, and businesses are working together to bring technology to students across the country in surprising new ways.

Eighteen programs across the country have been selected as recipients of the 2001 SBC National Telecommunications Partnership Awards, which recognize outstanding partnerships that have facilitated the integration of telecommunications technology into education, resulting in improved student achievement and success. This year's awards focus on education partnerships that use telecommunications technology to bridge the Digital Divide.

"Telecommunications partnerships between schools, communities and businesses are growing in number and importance across America," said Daniel W. Merenda, president and chief executive officer, National Association of Partners in Education. "We are proud to have the opportunity to spotlight the programs that have been successful in increasing access to new technologies for underserved populations."

The SBC Foundation, philanthropic arm of SBC Communications Inc., and the National Association of Partners in Education will honor award recipients today at a special ceremony at the 2001 Symposium on Partnerships in Education in Anchorage, Alaska.

"These awards facilitate the sharing of best practices among educators and business leaders who are working to narrow the technology gap in their respective communities," said Laura Sanford, president of the SBC Foundation. "We salute those collaborative initiatives that share our vision of using technology to improve the education process and student learning by making technology available to those most in need."

Each of the winning programs will be featured in the Partners in Education national newsletter, Keeping Children at the Center, the organization's Web site; and in a special winners' booklet describing in detail the initiatives that successfully use partnerships to bridge the Digital Divide.

A total of $13,000 in grants will be presented to three award winners: two Grand Prize Awards for $5,000 each and one Gold Award for $3,000. In addition, 15 partnerships will be recognized with honorable mentions.

Representatives from each of the Grand Prize and Gold Award winning programs will receive round trip airfare, accommodations and registration to the 2001 National Symposium in Anchorage. All program winners will receive travel accommodations to attend the SBC Congressional Awards for Leadership in Educational Telecommunications Partnerships to be held in 2002 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The Congressional Awards provide an opportunity to recognize the importance of integrating strategic programs with policy goals and honor members of Congress who have made significant contributions to bridging the Digital Divide.

Winners also will have the opportunity to share their expertise with other partnerships by serving as "virtual" advisors, via the Internet, during quarterly discussions over the course of the year.

Winning programs were selected based on criteria that included:

• History of the partnership and the population it serves
• Program's ability to make technology accessible to underserved communities
• Explanation of how program would reach its goals and objectives
• Description of how technology would be implemented in the program
• Ability of program to produce measurable results and evaluate the outcome of the partnership

Judges chose programs that were innovative in their approach to making technology accessible to underserved communities.

Grand Prize Winners

• The Parent Mobile in Towson, Md., is an innovative mobile outreach center that travels throughout Baltimore County taking technology to both rural and high poverty communities. Since its creation in October 1999, the Parent Mobile has reached more than 6,000 people in apartment communities, at fairs, special events, workplaces, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, and other community locations.
• Academy of Information Technology (AIT) in Stamford, Conn., is a full-day academic program that offers all basic academic courses to 225 students in the ninth through 12th grade. AIT has five state-of-the-art labs, 10 classrooms, and a top-notch teaching staff. One-third of the students enrolled in the program are from economically disadvantaged communities, and more than 70 percent are minorities.

Gold Prize Winner

• Trinity College Smart Neighborhood Initiative in Hartford, Conn. has built an extended community of learning that brings the benefits of technology to many community organizations including churches, schools, businesses, and residents of the Frog Hollow and Barry Square neighborhoods in Hartford, Conn. This technology initiative builds upon an ongoing neighborhood revitalization effort that has rebuilt homes, stabilized businesses, and created the highly publicized "Learning Corridor." The Learning Corridor is a 16-acre campus adjacent to Trinity's campus that is part of a $175 million Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative originated by Trinity College and its partners.

Other programs that have shown commendable partnerships will receive honorable mentions. They include:

• Advanced Technology Center, Midland, Texas
• Arrowhead Technology Center, Duluth, Minn.
• Austin Techmobile, Austin, Texas
• The Norwalk Housing Authority's Becoming Young Technology Experts (BYTE), Norwalk, Conn.
• Classrooms of the 21st Century, Norwalk, Conn.
• Computer Genesis, Bridgeport, Conn.
• DePaul Learning by Association, Chicago, Ill.
• eMints@Parkade, Columbia, Mo.
• Fairfield University-ABCD Computer, Fairfield, Conn.
• Family Technology Learning Project, Columbia, S.C.
• Fast Forward, Columbia, S.C.
• Jennings School District, Jennings, Mo.
• Pacific Bell Virtual Classroom, Sacramento, Calif.
• SIAC/George Westinghouse High School Redesign, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Technology Helping Educators, Columbus, Ohio

For more than 30 years, PARTNERS IN EDUCATION has been a leader in developing school volunteer, intergenerational, community service, and business partnership programs that ensure success for all students throughout the United States and abroad. PARTNERS IN EDUCATION and its diversified membership represent over 7 million volunteers involved in more than 400,000 partnerships nationwide.

The SBC Foundation is the charitable giving arm of SBC Communications Inc. and its family of companies. In 2000, SBC, through Foundation and corporate giving, donated more than $95 million to support efforts that enrich and strengthen diverse communities nationwide. The Foundation places primary emphasis on supporting programs that help increase access to information technologies; broaden technology training and professional skills development; and effectively integrate new technologies to enhance education and economic development -- especially for underserved populations. SBC has been named among America's Most Generous Companies for two consecutive years by Worth Magazine (2000 & 2001).