$500,000 in Grants Offered for School-to-Career Initiatives

$500,000 in Grants Offered for School-to-Career Initiatives

Bell Atlantic Foundation Announces Bay State Program

December 14, 1998

BOSTON -- The Bell Atlantic Foundation is offering $500,000 in grants for
innovative programs that use technology to prepare Massachusetts students for the
workplace.

Schools and teachers with students in grades 7-12 are invited to apply for the
grants through the 1999 EdLink Awards program. Now in its third year, the Bell
Atlantic Foundation EdLink Awards promote partnerships between schools,
businesses and community organizations.

"It's important for students to see practical applications of what they are
learning," said Robert Mudge, vice president for Bell Atlantic-Massachusetts.
"Our EdLink program is designed to encourage learning while introducing students to
career and educational possibilities."

Some $450,000 will be awarded to proposals that demonstrate collaboration
between schools and community organizations, colleges, universities or school-to-
work partnerships. Up to $50,000 will be earmarked for individual teachers or
teams of teachers proposing classroom projects. Priority will be given to
proposals that support the effective use of new technologies.

Through this effort, Mudge said Bell Atlantic hopes to strengthen technology
skills for teachers and students, foster diversity in the workplace and support
career mentoring programs which can serve as models for use elsewhere in the
state.

Massachusetts Commissioner of Education David Driscoll hailed the program and
its current emphasis on supporting school-to-career initiatives through which
students from all backgrounds can acquire skills that lead to satisfying future
employment opportunities.

"I value the Bell Atlantic Foundation's commitment to helping our young people
acquire and develop the skills they need to become problem solvers and lifelong
learners," said Driscoll. "These skills are vital in today's demanding work
environments."

Bell Atlantic EdLink grant proposals are due Jan. 15. Recipients will be
announced in April, with winning programs slated for implementation between
June 1999 and June 2000.

The Bell Atlantic Foundation supports a variety of projects domestically and
internationally, with an emphasis on new technology applications in education,
health and human services, the arts and humanities, and civic development in the
communities served by Bell Atlantic. For more information, visit
bellatlanticfoundation.com on the Internet.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information
industry. With 42 million telephone access lines and eight million wireless
customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced
wireline voice and data services, market leaders in wireless services and the
world's largest publishers of directory information. Bell Atlantic companies are
also among the world's largest investors in high-growth global communications
markets, with operations and investments in 23 countries.