Bell Atlantic Grant Offers Newark Students Virtual International Business Experience

Bell Atlantic Grant Offers Newark Students Virtual International
Business Experience

$20,000 Earmarked for St. Philips Academy, Newark

April 13, 1999

NEWARK, N.J. -- Students from St. Philips Academy in Newark will
explore careers in International Affairs with their counterparts in St.
Petersburg, Russia, and in Paris, France. Students in all three countries
will be using telecommunications technologies, thanks to a $20,000 grant
from the Bell Atlantic Foundation.

The grant, announced today at St. Philips Academy, is part of a Bell
Atlantic program known as Opportunity New Jersey (ONJ), which is
designed to bring the benefits of the Information Age to the state's schools,
libraries and urban areas.

"We are proud to partner with school administrators to enhance the
education of New Jersey's youth," said William M. Freeman, president and
CEO of Bell Atlantic - New Jersey. "This is part of an effort to help
students use the limitless resources and communications opportunities
provided by access to high speed technology to enhance their learning
environments."

Using videoconferencing, students in all three countries will explore
career opportunities as they relate to setting professional goals, preparing
for international travel and understanding differing business cultures.

"These recipients are a tribute to their dedicated educators and their
communities, who have taken the extra step to provide their students with
opportunities to combine creative thinking with telecommunications," said
Jim Murphy, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School
Administrators (NJASA). "I also would like to acknowledge the
involvement and support provided by the Bell Atlantic Foundation and
Philips Academy's Foreign Language instructor, Ellen Bogslazsky for
facilitating the grant application process."

Since Opportunity New Jersey began six years ago, Bell Atlantic has
provided nearly $500,000 in grants to New Jersey schools, working in
partnership with NJASA. Under a complimentary program, Access New
Jersey, Bell Atlantic also provided over the last year a total of $23 million
dedicated to providing schools and libraries with technology applications.
The $23 million is a total of $9.4 million of equipment and $13.6 million
of savings resulting from special discounts to schools and libraries on 4
services.

St. Philips Academy is one of five school districts in New Jersey to
receive Opportunity New Jersey grants from Bell Atlantic this year. Other
grant winners are Clayton High School in Gloucester County, Lebanon
Borough Elementary School District in Hunterdon County, Passaic
County Elks Cerebral Palsy High School in Clifton and the Union County
Educational Services Commission in Westfield.

All public, private and parochial schools in New Jersey were eligible to
apply for ONJ grants. Grant applicants must demonstrate the use of
telecommunications and emerging information technologies to support
this year's theme of school-to-workplace readiness.

NJASA is an organization of professional educators dedicated to
advocating for school children in New Jersey. The association protects the
rights and opportunities, serves the educational interests and promotes the
educational welfare of New Jersey's youth.

The Bell Atlantic Foundation supports a variety of projects domestically
and internationally, with an emphasis on new technology applications in
education, health and human services, the arts and humanities, and civic
development in the communities served by Bell Atlantic. For more
information, visit www.bellatlanticfoundation.com on the Internet.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and
information industry. With more than 42 million telephone access lines
and 8.6 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 23 countries.