Filed Under: [ Hispanic News ] [ Press Releases ] [ California ]
Tags: AT&T, children, family, non-profit, parents, student
Knowledge is Power!
“AT&T today announced a $500,000 contribution to be paid over the next two years to the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF), a community-based organization providing a wide range of family services to low-income residents throughout California. The contribution will fund a pilot program called “BeSchoolReady”, an Internet-based educational tool that introduces young children to computer technology through Internet-delivered learning modules designed to develop learning, language and cognitive skills. The purpose of the program is to prepare preschool students to begin their formal education and increase their chances of kindergarten success.
AT&T’s contribution will provide over 1,300 preschool students from low-income families within the next two years with the opportunity to use the BeSchoolReady program. For many children, and their parents, it will be a first-time experience with computers, so the project also helps to encourage technology literacy in the Latino community. MAOF preschool children are already using the BeSchoolReady web program at several Los Angeles County MAOF Centers.
“We are thrilled to partner with AT&T to help encourage technology literacy in the Latino community,” explained Martin Castro, MAOF President & CEO. “The launch of the BeSchoolReady program will help ensure our preschoolers are comfortable with computers and can be better prepared to succeed in the public school system when they enter kindergarten.”
“At AT&T, we are excited about the positive impact that technology can have on lives, and we hope this program will demonstrate how the latest tools and information can help children succeed,” said Anita Gabrielian, Executive Director of External Affairs for AT&T. “We are proud to partner with the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation to pilot a program that utilizes technology to prepare young children for future learning and academic achievement.”
During the pilot program, 660 preschoolers each year will complete the nine-month BeSchoolReady program, which is self-paced and monitored by trained MAOF staff members. MAOF staff will use student performance data to guide development, and ensure that the students master the content and complete the program. Staff will also assess curricula retention and compare with California State Standards for Kindergarten to document student success. At the end of the pilot, MAOF will collect and evaluate student performance data to assess the program’s overall effectiveness.
About Philanthropy at AT&T
AT&T Inc. is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its philanthropic initiatives and partnerships, AT&T supports projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; and address community needs. In 2006, AT&T contributed more than $101 million through corporate-, employee- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs. AT&T and the AT&T Foundation, the corporate philanthropy organization of AT&T, combine more than $1.8 billion of historic charitable commitment to communities across the country.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. 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. Among their offerings are the world’s most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation’s leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at www.att.com/.
About MAOF
The Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) is a non-profit, community-based organization that was established in 1963 in order to serve disadvantaged individuals and families in the Los Angeles area. MAOF is the largest Latino-oriented, family services organization in the United States, and has achieved this status by providing high quality social services and programs to those communities where the need is the greatest.
For more information about MAOF, visit www.maof.org/ “
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