Bell Atlantic to Award $100,000 in Grants to New Jersey Schools for Innovative Use of Technology

Bell Atlantic to Award $100,000 in Grants to New Jersey Schools for Innovative Use of Technology

Schools Continue New Jersey Tradition of Excellence

February 4, 1998

NEWARK, N.J. - Six school districts and consortia from across the
state have won cash grants to fund projects that encourage students to
learn with the latest technology, Bell Atlantic-New Jersey announced
today.

The grants, which total nearly $100,000, are part of the company's
Opportunity New Jersey (ONJ) School Grant project. This competitive,
statewide program, now in its fourth year, encourages schools to use
telecommunications technology as a hands-on learning tool.

Bell Atlantic-New Jersey President Len J. Lauer lauded the winners for
continuing New Jersey's tradition of technological innovation and
intellectual excellence.

"Life would be unthinkable without the technological contributions of
past generations of New Jerseyans that have included photographic
film, electric light, condensed soup, FM broadcasting and the first
commercially marketable television set," Lauer said.

"Together, Bell Atlantic and these outstanding New Jersey educators
are helping the next generation of inventors shape their world as
boldly as Thomas Edison, John Roebling and Hannibal Goodwin shaped
theirs."

More than 100 public and private elementary and secondary schools
applied for the grants by submitting proposals to the New Jersey
Association of School Administrators by mid-December.

In their proposals, schools explained how they would expose students
to telecommunications technologies, introduce innovative teaching
methods and use technology to bridge divergent student cultures.

During March, Bell Atlantic officials will visit award winners and
present grant checks .

The Winners

Diocese of Trenton - Students in a five-school (K-12) consortium from
four New Jersey counties will conduct on-site water quality testing
and analysis. The students will use the Internet to share their
findings with each other and the wider global community.

Hanover Township Public Schools - Working with students from two
Japanese middle schools, students from Memorial Junior High School in
Whippany will produce a literary anthology that captures the spirit of
the 20th century.

Hudson County Schools of Technology - HSCT will develop an electronic
repository of curriculum information related to mathematics and
science at the middle- through high-school level. HSCT staff and
students will collaborate on the design, implementation, operation and
maintenance of a site on the World Wide Web that will be available to
all interested parties.

Lenape Regional High School District - Students at Lenape High School
in Shamong will set up a server to "stream" audio and video. This
expansion of the school's existing technologies will allow Internet
access to student performances and newscasts.

Services for Children with Hidden Intelligence - This Lakewood school
will use telecommunications technology to help children with mental
disabilities to develop expressive language skills.

Totowa School District - "Hong Kong Connection" will allow students,
teachers, parents and senior citizens from Totowa and Somerville to
join their counterparts in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China in a variety
of educational and cultural exchanges.

Bell Atlantic - formed through the merger of Bell Atlantic and NYNEX -
is at the forefront of the new communications, information and
entertainment industry. With 40.5 million telephone access lines and
six million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are
premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market
leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of
directory information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the
world's largest investors in high-growth global communications markets,
with operations and investments in 21 countries.