10.14.2008 - 01:10pm ET

(CSRwire) SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) today announced it is awarding more than $1.4 million in AT&T Foundation grants to nine Bay Area educational institutions to support high school retention programs for at-risk students.

The grants are part of the company's signature initiative, AT&T Aspire, which was announced earlier this year to help address high school success and workforce readiness. AT&T has committed $100 million in philanthropy through 2011 to schools and nonprofit organizations that are focused on high school retention and better preparing students for college and the workforce.

As part of the Aspire initiative, the AT&T Foundation has committed $29 million in High School Success grants to more than 170 schools and nonprofit organizations. Statewide, AT&T is awarding 35 grants totaling more than $3.5 million.

America's Promise Alliance, the nation's largest multi-sector collaborative dedicated to the well-being of children and youth, has noted that nearly one-third of U.S. high school students drop out before graduating -- with about 7,000 students dropping out every school day, or one every 26 seconds.

"High school dropout rates are a serious issue affecting students everywhere, including the Bay Area," said Loretta Walker, vice president, AT&T External Affairs -- Bay Area. "We're committed to supporting the critical work our educators are already doing to help children succeed by preparing them for a global economy. The response to our program has been terrific, and we look forward to working with these groups to build a brighter future for our youth."

Local recipients of these grants are:

Businesses United in Investing, Lending and Development (BUILD) -- $400,000 over 4 years to support BUILD's entrepreneurial education program, which includes academic support and mentoring designed to assist academically challenged 9th grade students.

West Contra Costa Unified School District -- $150,000 over 3 years to support college preparedness and technical skills programs for at-risk 9th and 10th graders at El Cerrito and Kennedy High Schools.

East Side Union High School District -- $400,000 over 4 years to support "Working on Refining Destiny," an after-school intervention program of the California Alliance of African American Educators, designed to improve academic achievement for African-American 9th and 10th graders at Oak Grove High School.

Foundation of California State University, Monterey Bay -- $224,000 over 3 years to support "Recruitment in Science Education" program that facilitates the retention of at-risk students beginning in the 9th grade by better preparing them to succeed in high school and beyond.

Liberty Union High School District -- $35,000 to support the development of a summer "Boot Camp" for Freedom, Liberty, and Heritage High School students at risk of failing Algebra in the 9th and 10th grades, as well as the expansion of supplemental programs targeting English and Language Arts.

San Francisco School Alliance Foundation -- $56,000 to support the "Freshman Advisory Program" at John O'Connell High School, which is a series of intervention strategies designed to ensure students will show measurable gains in academics and skill development.

Sequoia Union High School District -- $50,000 to support coaching in math, science and English for at-risk 9th and 10th graders at Sequoia Union High School District.

The Breakthrough Collaborative, Inc. -- $25,000 to support strategic planning for Breakthrough's High School Excellence Initiative, which includes student tracking, data analysis, individual interventions, college counseling requirements, and effective community support for students.

Alameda Unified School District -- $85,000 to support Island High School serving credit deficient students who have not been successful in a traditional high school.

"We are so grateful for AT&T's incredible vote of confidence in the BUILD program," said Suzanne McKechnie Klahr, BUILD CEO and Founder. "With AT&T's Aspire grant, BUILD will help 50% more students graduate from high school and enter college. Thanks to AT&T, BUILD will be able to make a lasting impact on students and their communities and create a new generation of role models for our youth."

"The AT&T grant will enable the kind of support all students deserve in order to realize their potential," said Bob Nunez, superintendent of the East Side Union High School District. "The grant will provide after-school services, support parent participation and fund student enrichment programs. We know from research that a more holistic approach to student engagement works best."

As one of the largest-ever corporate commitments to high school retention and workforce readiness, the $100 million AT&T Aspire program will support organizations with strong track records that promote educational success, from the classroom to the workplace. The recipient programs of this year's High School Success grants provide a range of support for students, including academic intervention, mentoring and tutoring services.

In addition to the retention program grants, AT&T Aspire will award funding in three other key areas:

• A student job shadowing initiative involving 400,000 AT&T employee hours that will give 100,000 students a firsthand look at the skills they will need to succeed in the 21st century workforce.
  
  
• The underwriting of national research that will explore the practitioner perspective (teachers, principals, superintendents, school counselors and school board members) on the high school dropout issue.
  
  
• Support for 100 state and community dropout prevention summits, announced earlier this year by America's Promise Alliance.

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