SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) today announced it is awarding more than $700,000 in AT&T Foundation grants to six Sacramento-area educational institutions to support high school retention programs for at-risk students.

The grants are part of the company's signature initiative, AT&T Aspire, which was announced earlier this year to help address high school success and workforce readiness. AT&T has committed $100 million in philanthropy through 2011 to schools and nonprofit organizations that are focused on high school retention and better preparing students for college and the workforce.

As part of the Aspire initiative, the AT&T Foundation has committed $29 million in High School success grants to more than 170 schools and nonprofit organizations. Statewide, AT&T is awarding 35 grants totaling more than $3.5 million.

America's Promise Alliance, the nation's largest multi-sector collaborative dedicated to the well-being of children and youth, has noted that nearly one-third of U.S. high school students drop out before graduating -- with about 7,000 students dropping out every school day, or one every 26 seconds.

"High school dropout rates are a serious issue affecting more than 1 million students in this country each year," said Kathy McKim, vice president, AT&T External Affairs - Sacramento. "We're committed to supporting the great work our educators are already doing in our local communities to help kids succeed by preparing them for a global economy. We're lending a hand to build and expand these programs, and we're gratified by the response to the program and look forward to working with these groups to build a brighter future for our youth."

Local recipients of these grants are:

St. Hope Public Schools -- $300,000 over 4 years to support St. Hope Academy-Sacramento High School program components for 9th grade students that prepare them to enter industry-themed small schools by providing a college-prep curriculum, extended school days, and college access services.

Juveniles at Risk -- $150,000 over 3 years to expand a charter school program serving Sacramento and Elk Grove Unified School Districts, targeting an additional fifty 9th grade high-risk students requiring extensive academic support and counseling to stay on target in high school.

Roseland Charter School -- $150,000 over 3 years to support the training of all 9th grade teaching staff, tutors, and community members in the use of AVID (Advancement via Individualized Determination) strategies to better prepare at-risk students to complete the college A-G requirements and gain admission to college after high school.

People Reaching Out, Inc. -- $35,000 to support enhancements to FRESH START, a dropout prevention program in River City High School, targeting incoming at-risk 9th graders with a grade point average of 1.5 or less, by integrating academic learning coupled with social and emotional learning.

Research and Policy Institute of California -- $35,000 to support the planning phase of the Society of Leaders program designed to increase academic achievement, proficiency in online research and leadership development for underrepresented, primarily African American students entering Algebra 1.

Valley Vision -- $35,000 to support youth service providers in the Sacramento Region engaged in intervention programs for at-risk students primarily in the 9th grade.

"St. HOPE believes that no student, regardless of their circumstances, should be denied a top quality, college preparatory education," said Rick Maya, Executive Director of St. HOPE. "At Sacramento Charter High School, we believe that by setting high expectations for students, they'll rise to meet the challenge. With the help of AT&T's Aspire grant, we'll be able to continue investing in our youth's future by curbing dropout rates and raising the number of students going on to college. AT&T should be commended for their long-standing commitment to success in high schools across America."

As one of the largest-ever corporate commitments to high school retention and workforce readiness, the $100 million AT&T Aspire program will support organizations with strong track records that promote educational success, from the classroom to the workplace. The recipient programs of this year's High School Success grants provide a range of support for students, including academic intervention, mentoring and tutoring services.

In addition to the retention program grants, AT&T Aspire will award funding in three other key areas:

• A student job shadowing initiative involving 400,000 AT&T employee hours that will give 100,000 students a firsthand look at the skills they will need to succeed in the 21st century workforce.
  
• The underwriting of national research that will explore the practitioner perspective (teachers, principals, superintendents, school counselors and school board members) on the high school dropout issue.
  
• Support for 100 state and community dropout prevention summits, announced earlier this year by America's Promise Alliance.

About Philanthropy at AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its philanthropic initiatives and partnerships, AT&T supports projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; and address community needs. In 2007, AT&T contributed more than $164 million through corporate-, employee- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs. AT&T and the AT&T Foundation, the corporate philanthropy organization of AT&T, combine more than $1.9 billion of historic charitable commitment to communities across the country.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 on Fortune magazine's World's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list and No. 1 on America's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.

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