6.21.2007 - 12:39pm ET

(CSRwire) WASHINGTON, D.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 21, 2007--The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) today announced the renewal of a $100,000 grant from Staples Foundation for Learning (SFFL), a private foundation created by Staples, Inc. This year, SFFL's support will fund the launch of the Hispanic Heritage Teacher Award, an award that acknowledges influential teachers within Latino communities across the country making a positive impact on the lives of Latino youth. The award will honor teachers who play a vital role in the development of students and enable them to achieve great success in the face of challenge.

The Hispanic Heritage Teacher Award recognizes select teachers for their dedication in the classroom and for acting as role models for educators nationwide. During April and May, twelve teachers from across the country were selected as regional finalists. Each teacher received a plaque and $1,000 Staples gift card to help purchase much-needed supplies for their classrooms. Staples and HHF will announce teacher finalist Dora Arredondo-Marron as the national winner of the Hispanic Teach Award during a special ceremony this evening at the University of Colorado Boulder in Denver, CO. Ms. Arredondo-Marron was recognized for her optimism, guidance and mentoring, which have helped the student who nominated her, Andrea Guitierrez, excel in high school and become the first person in her family to attend college.

All teachers were nominated by Hispanic Heritage Youth Award winners, who are high school seniors. Each student submitted an essay about a teacher who made an impact on his or her life and displayed a strong dedication and commitment to education. The teacher finalists were chosen for their impact on student success in the classroom, their impact on student character and on the community as a whole, and their personal leadership qualities.

"Thanks to the ongoing support of Staples Foundation for Learning, we created this important Teacher Award," said Jose Antonio Tijerino, president and chief executive officer of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. "As parents, as a community and as a country, we are depending on the commitment and influence of our teachers; and, with the high school graduation rate at a tragic 55 percent for Latinos, the worst of any segment of the population, the Hispanic Heritage Teacher Award recipients and their students will serve as an inspiration to others."

"Staples Foundation for Learning is continuing its commitment to helping youth from diverse backgrounds realize their potential through our ongoing collaboration with Hispanic Heritage Foundation," said Ron Sargent, president of Staples Foundation for Learning and chairman and chief executive officer of Staples, Inc. "With the launch of the Hispanic Heritage Teacher Award, we're expanding our partnership to acknowledge not only influential youth within the Latino community, but also the positive role models who educate and inspire them."

SFFL began its partnership with Hispanic Heritage Foundation in 2006 to help fund educational and cultural programs that identify, promote and prepare Latino leaders. The foundation supported programs such as the Hispanic Heritage Awards and Portrait Gallery ("Portraits: 20 Years, of Hispanic Leaders"), Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards, and Latinos on Fast Track (LOFT). SFFL's support of the 2007 national Hispanic Heritage Teacher Award marks its continued dedication to HHF and their efforts to prepare Latino youth to make an impact in the classroom, community and workforce.

The 2007 Hispanic Heritage Regional Teacher Awardees were:

-- Dallas - Irma Lazos Kennedy, Coppell High School, Coppell, TX

-- Philadelphia - Francis Crowley, West Catholic High School of Philadelphia, PA

-- New York - Myriam Agudelo, Long Island City High School of Long Island City, NY

-- Washington, DC - Jennifer Bado-Aleman, Gaithersburg High School, Gaithersburg, MD

-- Chicago - Michael Gordon, Munster High School, Munster, IN

-- No. California - Dora Arredondo-Marron, Woodside Priory School, Portola Valley, CA

-- Miami - Anthony Cabrera - Young Women Preparatory Academy of Miami, FL

-- San Antonio - Candace E. Michael, Luther Burbank High School of San Antonio, TX

-- Houston - Timothy J. Johnson, Stephen F. Austin High School of Houston, TX

-- Phoenix - Will Seward, Buckeye Union High School of Buckeye, AZ

-- San Diego - Kellie Larsen, Point Loma High School of San Diego, CA

-- Los Angeles - Yolanda Guadalupe Elias, Ramona High School of Riverside, CA

About Hispanic Heritage Foundation

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation identifies, inspires, promotes and prepares Latino leaders in the community, classroom and workforce through national leadership, cultural, and educational programs. HHF is headquartered in Washington, DC and is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Please click on www.HHFvideo.com or visit www.HispanicHeritage.org.

About Staples Foundation for Learning

The mission of Staples Foundation for Learning, Inc. is to teach, train and inspire. Founded in 2002, the foundation has contributed nearly $11.5 million to national and local charities that provide educational opportunities and job skills for all people, with a special emphasis on disadvantaged youth. Staples Foundation for Learning has also developed lasting relationships with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Earth Force, Hispanic Heritage Foundation and the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. In addition, Staples Foundation for Learning supports Ashoka, an organization that develops and supports social entrepreneurs around the world, in eight countries: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and the United States. For more information about the foundation or how to apply for a grant, please visit www.staplesfoundation.org.



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