11.19.2006 ET

(CSRwire) LOS ANGELES - Learning Links Centers, LLC(R) (LLC), a socially responsible Southern California real estate investment company, announces the launch of the Education Advantage Foundation (EAF), a non-profit organization providing educational opportunities to at-risk youth in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area. The announcement was made today by real estate entrepreneurs and LLC/EAF co-founders Joe Killinger and George Pino.

"It's cliche to say that children are our future, but it's true, and at EAF we're committed to providing the finest educational opportunities possible for the youth of Los Angeles and, hopefully, beyond," said EAF co-founder Killinger. "We aim to expand the Foundation's work into other metropolitan areas in the near future and continue to fulfill our mission to help tenants and their children prepare for success. We truly want to leave no child behind."

EAF's goal is to promote higher education by providing scholarships and no-cost after-school mentoring and tutoring programs to students, in cooperation with apartment building owners. Through its expertise in the real estate business, LLC acquires, refurbishes and manages apartment buildings in targeted neighborhoods, setting aside a percentage of the residential units for full-time school teachers, who receive significant discounts on monthly rental fees in exchange for tutoring and mentoring the children that live in the complex.

"EAF and LLC couldn't realize its goals without the support of other like-minded investors," said EAF co-founder Pino. "We have been fortunate to create a way for our investors to obtain a competitive return while being socially responsible."

EAF specially renovates one unit in each building to serve as a study suite called The Resource Center. Resource centers offer residents a safe haven from drugs, crime and gangs and provide a positive alternative to excessive television and video game use and other distractions. Each center is supplied with mini library and reference materials such as books and maps, as well as computers with supervised internet access, and teaching tools for the students and mentors within each building.

LLC currently owns and operates five buildings containing 104 units in Baldwin Village, Calif. With the added incentive of educational opportunities, the buildings become desirable destinations for renters, which minimizes vacancy, rental default and vandalism rates, thereby helping to improve community standards. Students participating in EAF/LLC programs range from kindergarten to the 12th grade.

Additional information on Learning Links Centers(R) and Education Advantage Foundation can be found at the following links:

http://www.educationadvantage.org
http://www.learninglinkscenters.com