DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 7, 2005--The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center announced today receipt of a grant for more than $24,000 from the Qwest Foundation. The funds will be used to expand Crow Canyon's Web site to support nationally recognized educational programming and to build upon American Indian students' cultural background.

With the Qwest Foundation grant, Crow Canyon will work to expand its cross-cultural education programs targeting American Indian students throughout the Four Corners region.

"Qwest is proud to support Crow Canyon and American Indian Education," said Ric Padilla, Qwest vice president of corporate social responsibility. "We're committed to making a positive difference in the communities where employees live and work. Providing our communities with teaching materials to foster identity and self-esteem is the right thing to do."

"We want to thank Qwest for its commitment to American Indian education," said Ryan Wilson, president-elect, National Indian Education Association (NIEA), Oglala Lakota. "The dearth of accurate and culturally rich American Indian teaching materials available in U.S. curricula fosters a lack of self-esteem and lack of self-identity in the American Indian child, and in American Indian cultures as a whole. We commend Qwest and Crow Canyon for rolling out a curriculum that brings American Indian history to life for all to enjoy."

Currently, Crow Canyon's Web site includes programs such as Archaeologist On-Line, a Mesa Verde Region Resource Guide, an online "field trip" to Woods Canyon Pueblo and study guides and lesson plans for teachers and students from different grade levels. These updates to the Web site help expand Crow Canyon's impact, making educational materials available nationwide and to the world.

"Crow Canyon is excited about its important and long-standing partnership with the Qwest Foundation," said Dan Mooney, director of development for Crow Canyon. "We look forward to using this investment to make an enduring and meaningful impact on the education of children in the Four Corners region and beyond. With Qwest's support, our mission to provide American Indian educational resources can reach a growing audience."

Last year, a Qwest Foundation grant helped Crow Canyon create new educational materials on its Web site to provide educators and students with a unique online resource devoted to the natural, historical and cultural environments of Southwestern Colorado.

Representatives from Crow Canyon and Qwest will be attending the NIEA 36th Annual Convention, Oct. 6-9, in Denver at the Colorado Convention Center. Please visit www.niea.org for more information about the conference.

About Crow Canyon

Crow Canyon has been conducting nationally recognized archaeological research and public education programs since 1983.
Nearly 3,000 fourth-through-12th-grade students participate in archaeological-themed programs at the Center's campus every year. For additional information about Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, please visit www.crowcanyon.org.

About the Qwest Foundation

The Qwest Foundation's core principle is that investing in people and communities provides lasting value for the future. The Qwest Foundation awards grants to community-based programs that generate high-impact and measurable results, focusing on K-12 education and economic development.

The Qwest Foundation's philosophy is to help build strong communities through investing in people and the places where they live and work. For more information, contact www.qwest.com/foundation.

Copyright Business Wire 2005

Qwest Foundation

Qwest Foundation

The Qwest Foundation is dedicated to enriching the lives of customers and the communities we serve. It's more than just caring; it's a commitment to making a difference. The Qwest Foundation awards grants that generate high impact and measurable results through community-based programs in the area of pre-K through 12 education. We encourage you to learn more about the Foundation and request funding for your program. Qwest® is a leading provider of voice, video and data services across America and the world. For more than a century, homes and businesses have relied on our dependable dial tone connection. We value the strength and vitality we help bring to the communities where we live, work and play-through tens of thousands of volunteer hours donated by employees and retirees, our foundation contributions and numerous other avenues. In communications and community, our goal is to lead.

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