ARLINGTON, VA-Ashoka, a global organization with a 25-year history and network of more than 1,700 social entrepreneurs in over 60 countries, announced today a $500,000 grant from Staples Foundation for Learning to support Youth Venture, an Ashoka-originated initiative that is empowering a movement of young changemakers to improve the quality of life in their communities.

With the support of the Staples Foundation for Learning, Youth Venture will expand into five new countries this year to create more opportunities for young people to take initiative and make a difference. The grant enables Youth Venture to establish programs in France, Germany, Spain, Argentina and Brazil with the potential for investment in further expansion to additional countries in the coming years. It will also give Staples associates outside of the United States the opportunity to directly support Youth Venturers and help them establish Youth Venture social enterprises.

The international collaboration reflects the mission of the Staples Foundation for Learning to invest in youth development and marks a new path for Ashoka's Youth Venture to work with a leading corporate foundation.

"Ashoka's leadership in helping emerging social entrepreneurs to realize their dreams at a young age, is very much in line with Staples' entrepreneurial roots and commitment to youth development in local communities," said Ron Sargent, president of Staples Foundation for Learning and chairman and CEO of Staples, Inc. "We look forward to an exciting and productive international collaboration with Ashoka as we support Youth Venture's global expansion."

"This exciting partnership leverages the best assets of our organizations," said Bill Drayton, Chairman of Youth Venture. "Together, Ashoka, Youth Venture and Staples Foundation for Learning will empower young people all over the world by giving them the opportunity to take initiative and make a lasting impact in their communities. This initiative brings us one step closer to creating an "everyone a changemaker" society where everyone has the freedom, confidence and societal support to address social problems."

Both organizations are demonstrating a strengthened commitment to youth-led social change during landmark years: Staples is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2006 as Ashoka is celebrating its 25th.

About Ashoka

Ashoka is the world's leading community of leading social entrepreneurs--individuals with innovative and practical ideas for addressing social needs. Working with these social entrepreneurs, Ashoka builds communities of innovators who work collectively to transform society and design new ways for the social sector to become more productive, entrepreneurial and globally integrated. For more information, please visit www.ashoka.org.

About Youth Venture

Youth Venture inspires and invests in teams of young people to start their own sustainable ventures that create lasting benefit to their communities, and Youth Venture connects these young changemakers into a powerful network. Since 1996, Youth Venture has launched over 650 teams across the US, involving an estimated 16,000 young people as founders, leaders, staff and participants. Youth Venture's goal is to redefine the role of young people in society as able leaders of social change. For more information, please visit www.youthventure.org or www.avancemos.org.

About Staples Foundation for Learning

Launched in August of 2002, Staples Foundation for Learning, Inc. is a private foundation created by Staples Inc. to provide funding to charitable programs that support or provide job training or educational opportunities to all people, with a special emphasis on disadvantaged youth. To date, Staples Foundation for Learning has awarded $6 million dollars in grants to non-profit organizations and is a national sponsor of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. For more information about the foundation or how to apply for a grant, please visit www.staplesfoundation.org.

Ashoka: Innovators for the Public

Ashoka: Innovators for the Public

Ashoka is the global association of the world's leading social entrepreneurs - men and women with system changing solutions for the world's most urgent social problems. Since 1981, Ashoka has elected over 3000 leading social entrepreneurs as Ashoka Fellows, providing them with living stipends, professional support, and access to a global network of peers in more than 70 countries. Working with these social entrepreneurs, Ashoka builds communities of innovators who work collectively to transform society and design new ways for the citizen sector to become more productive, entrepreneurial and globally integrated. For more information, please visit www.ashoka.org.

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