The SBC Foundation has announced a three-year, $100,000 commitment to support the Morton Bahr Distance Learning Scholars Endowment for study through Empire State College’s Center for Distance Learning. The grant will expand educational access among the country’s workers and give them the skills to use technology effectively in their college-level studies and in the workplace.

Morton Bahr, president of the 630,000-member Communications Workers of America, said, "I am deeply honored that Bahr Scholarships will promote lifelong learning and prepare workers everywhere to participate fully in the information age."

Empire State College offers one of the nation’s largest university networked-learning programs, managing 10,000 course enrollments annually. The new scholarship program will enable union members and other non-management workers including minorities and women, no matter where they live, to complete college-level courses and degrees via distance learning.

"By supporting Bahr Scholars, SBC continues its commitment to support programs that use technology to improve education and build important job skills," said Gloria Delgado, president, SBC Foundation. It also gives us an opportunity to be a part of recognizing Mr. Bahr’s commitment to education."

Since 1996, the SBC Foundation has provided more than $89 million in educational grants nationwide.

Empire State College is a comprehensive, public statewide distributed university within the State of New York system that offers associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Networked educational resources offer flexibility in time, place and content of study and are geared to adult learners and other non-traditional students.

The SBC Foundation addresses community needs in the areas of education, community economic development, health and human services, and culture and the arts. Since its formation in 1984, the SBC Foundation has distributed nearly $600 million in grants, United Way support and employee outreach programs focused primarily within SBC’s core service areas. It is an independent foundation funded by SBC Communications Inc. and its family of companies.

SBC Communications Inc. (www.sbc.com) is a global communications leader. Through its subsidiaries' trusted brands - Southwestern Bell, Ameritech, Pacific Bell, SBC Telecom, Nevada Bell, SNET and Cellular One - and world-class network, SBC's subsidiaries provide local and long-distance phone service, wireless and data communications, paging, high-speed Internet access and messaging, cable and satellite television, security services and telecommunications equipment, as well as directory advertising and publishing. In the United States, the company currently has 61.2 million access lines, 12.2 million wireless customers and is undertaking a national expansion program that will bring SBC service to an additional 30 markets. Internationally, SBC has telecommunications investments in more than 20 countries. With approximately 219,000 employees, SBC is the 13th-largest employer in the U.S., with annual revenues that rank it among the largest Fortune 500 companies.

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