Bell Atlantic Pledges $25,000 for Girl Scouts of Central Maryland's After-School Program

Bell Atlantic Pledges $25,000 for Girl Scouts
of
Central Maryland's After-School Program

Grant to Provide Computers and
Educational Software
for Disadvantaged Youth

July 29, 1999

BALTIMORE -- Inner-city youth in the Girl Scouts of Central
Maryland's after-school program will get individual tutoring, enrichment
programs, career exploration and hands-on computer experiences thanks to
a $25,000 grant from the Bell Atlantic Foundation.

The funds will help with lessons in reading, math, science and technology.
In addition, the grant will cover transportation for day trips, books,
supplies, computers, educational software, special events and staff support
for the after-school center.

"Our partnership with Bell Atlantic expands what we are able to do
for girls in low-income areas," said Girl Scout Executive Director
Lisa Cid. "The partnership provides girls with committed adults and
a positive peer group, while developing in them qualities that will serve
them all their lives -- like strong values, social conscience and conviction
about their own potential and self-worth."

The Bell Atlantic Foundation is a major sponsor of Project H.O.P.E., the
Girl Scouts' after-school, drop-in center located in West Baltimore. The
center, which was established in 1997, serves girls ranging in age from
eight to 14 years old. "The girls come from low-income households
and can benefit from programs which supplement their education, provide
a safe haven after school and expose them to opportunities they might not
otherwise experience," said Cid. "The center gives the girls a
safe place to develop new skills and attitudes and mingle with their peers
and role models in a constructive environment."

Cid said the partnership between the Bell Atlantic Foundation and the Girl
Scouts of Central Maryland represents a continuing effort by both
organizations to prevent juvenile delinquency among girls-at-risk.

"We are glad to work closely with the Girl Scouts of Central
Maryland to make a difference in the lives of these young women,"
said Sherry F. Bellamy, president and CEO of Bell Atlantic - Maryland.
"The programs that our grant supports will prepare these girls for the
21st century by strengthening their self-esteem and helping them deal more
effectively with the personal and social issues they must face each
day."

The after-school center in West Baltimore is open year-round, Monday
through Thursday afternoons. It is one of three Project H.O.P.E. centers
developed since 1996 by the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. Two other
centers are located in East Baltimore -- one at The Johns Hopkins Medical
Institutions and another at a bilingual Hispanic center in Fells Point.
Together, the centers provide a safe haven for more than 200 girls year
round.

Girl Scouts of Central Maryland is one of 323 Girl Scout councils
chartered by Girl Scouts of the United States of America. It administers
and develops Girl Scouting in the city of Baltimore, and Anne Arundel,
Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. Girl Scouts usually
meet in groups called troops. Approximately 1,900 troops are now active
in central Maryland. Sometimes girls of different age levels come together
to carry out special interest projects or meet monthly in groups. Girls also
may register individually. For more information, visit www.gscm.org.

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 43 million telephone access lines and nine
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.leases.