FRESNO, Calif., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) today announced it is awarding more than $360,000 in AT&T Foundation grants to three Central Valley-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 Eric Johnson, AT&T External Affairs -- Fresno. "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 look forward to working with these terrific organizations to build a brighter future for our youth."

Local recipients of these grants are:

Fresno Unified School District -- $297,617 over 4 years To expand currently established high school retention programs within Fresno Unified School District to provide additional mentorship, college/career guidance and academic support to students (with a 1.9 grade point average or less) and their families as they transition into the 9th grade.

Merced County Office of Education -- $35,000 to support Success Labs at three Valley Community school campuses in Merced promoting high school retention for at-risk 9th graders through personalized supplementary instruction to improve academic skills and prepare for standardized tests.

Tehachapi High School, Tehachapi Unified School District -- $35,000 to support expansion of the 8th grade Opportunity Transition program to incoming 9th graders by providing staff with a mandatory elective, peer mentoring, and targeted study skills curriculum to better support at-risk 9th graders as they enter high school.

"We are truly fortunate to have business leaders like AT&T who value education and understand the importance of community investment," said FUSD Superintendent Michael Hanson. "This significant investment by AT&T will bolster our efforts to prepare career ready graduates by engaging students and connecting them to their future."

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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