Governor Shaheen On Hand for Announcement of $100,000 in NYNEX Grants for New Hampshire Elementary Schools

March 14, 1997

CONTACT: Erle Pierce (603) 641-1651

Governor Shaheen On Hand for Announcement of $100,000
in NYNEX Grants for New Hampshire Elementary Schools

CONCORD, N.H.--Elementary school students at Concord's Kimball School
today showed Governor Jeanne Shaheen what it's like to learn with technology.
The demonstration followed an announcement that NYNEX in New Hampshire,
in collaboration with New Hampshire Association of School Principals (NHASP),
will begin its first Excellence in Elementary Education initiative.

NYNEX will award $100,000 in grants to New Hampshire public and private
elementary schools for programs and collaborative projects that utilize
technology and telecommunications as effective tools for teaching and learning.
Awards will range from $5,000 to $25,000.

Private and Public elementary schools involved in programs for students
in grades K through six located in the NYNEX New Hampshire operating area,
are eligible to compete for the Excellence in Elementary Education grants.
Winners will be announced by June 6, 1997.

The grants will be awarded through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
A request form will be mailed directly to each Elementary School principal
in New Hampshire. The NHASP will administer the grant process and act as
the award winners' fiscal conduit.

"The integration of technology with classroom instruction is
a long-term process," said Michael McCluskey, President & CEO of
NYNEX in New Hampshire. "We are proud to extend NYNEX support of educational
initiatives to the elementary school student. The Excellence in Elementary
Education initiative will help to facilitate this process and evolve the
classrooms of the future."

Governor Shaheen applauded NYNEX's commitment to education in the
Granite State and liked the idea of targeting elementary school children
for new and creative ways to integrate technology into the learning process.
"I believe early education is vitally important to the learning process,"
Shaheen said. "This initiative, sponsored by NYNEX in New Hampshire,
will provide a foundation in computers and technology on which our youngest
students may build."

This first of its kind New Hampshire specific program is an extension
of The NYNEX Foundation's Excellence in Education program. Now in its fifth
year, the NYNEX Excellence in Education program has funded educational projects
that enhance the technical skills of students and teachers. It promotes
access to information and ultimately, increases the students' ability to
compete in a global market. In 1996, The NYNEX Foundation funded 68 Excellence
in Education projects in New York and New England.

Some of the institutions funded in New Hampshire in 1996 include:

- The Academy of Applied Science in Concord

- The Audubon Society of New Hampshire in Concord

- North Country Education Foundation in Gorham

- Southeastern Regional Educational Service Center

The program distinguishes projects that utilize technologies in collaboration
with the community or other partners, and demonstrate a commitment to rethink
curriculum, instructional practices, and student participation in the process
of learning.

Proposals from interested organizations for the Excellence in Elementary
Education grants must be hand-delivered or postmarked by May 5, 1997, to:

NYNEX Excellence in Education Grant Program c/o Ms. Peggy McAllister
NHASP 41A Terrill Park Dr. Concord, NH 03301 Applicants with questions can
call 1-603-225-3431 or email questions to: Erle_B_Pierce@smtp.

NYNEX is a global communications and media corporation that provides
a full range of services in the northeastern United States and high-growth
markets around the world, including the United Kingdom, Thailand, Gibraltar,
Greece, Indonesia, the Philippines, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
The corporation is a leader in telecommunications, wireless communications,
directory publishing and video entertainment and information services. NYNEX
is also managing sponsor of FLAG -- Fiberoptic Link Around the Globe --
the world's longest undersea fiber optic communications cable.

NYNEX news releases are now available on the Internet at http://www.. You can also receive fax
copies of recent NYNEX news releases, free of charge, 24 hours a day, by
calling 1-800-331-1214. An automated system will provide you with instructions.