5.21.2004 ET

(CSRwire) WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Chamber of Commerce Center for Corporate Citizenship brought together the nation's leaders from the business, nonprofit and government sectors to call attention to the need for increased support for business and K-12 education partnerships.

"The next generation of business-education partnerships must become more flexible and agile," said Suzanne Clark, Chamber COO and president of the CCC. "To do this, we must increase the flow of communication and collaboration between our schools and our businesses."

Nearly 70 percent of all school districts engage in business-education partnerships, worth an estimated $2.4 billion in human, financial and in-kind contributions. While large businesses account for many partnerships, the majority, 71 percent, are with small businesses. These partnerships range from small business owners rewarding students for making the honor roll to statewide partnerships involving hundreds of businesses in support of major educational and training initiatives

"Education is the number one social issue supported by corporate philanthropy," said Stephen Jordan, CCC executive director. "In this era of scarce resources, our goal is to help business leaders support the development of our education system as effectively as possible."

The Center for Corporate Citizenship is a nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that serves as a resource and voice for businesses and their social, philanthropic and ethical concerns.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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