Verizon has awarded grants totaling $37,000 to the New York Historical Society, Cities at Peace, the Latino Center on Aging and the Abyssinian Development Corporation.
The Verizon Foundation awarded a $15,000 grant to The New York Historical Society in support of its Lincoln and New York exhibition Teen Audio Tour Project. The project challenges teenagers to develop audio tours and podcasts for the Lincoln exhibition to help other students learn American history in a new and interesting way. Using recorded commentary to speak about America's history, the audio tours and podcasts will support student learning beyond the exhibition by making the audio tour available via the museum's and social networking Web sites.
The New York Historical Society's vice president for education, Adrienne Kupper, said, "Our teen audio tour program is an innovative and effective initiative where high-school interns work directly with museum educators to research, produce and narrate a unique and engaging educational audio tour, geared to their peers.
"With Verizon's generous support, this new audio tour will deliver important history content to thousands of New York City high school student visitors in a way that speaks to them, thereby helping to bridge the gap between teenagers and cultural institutions while also enhancing teens' observation and critical thinking skills that positively impact their academic careers and beyond," Kupper said.
Cities at Peace received a $10,000 grant in support of its Empowering Youth against Domestic Violence Program. Cities at Peace provides activities and opportunities for teenagers to create musical theater productions about critical issues facing them, including domestic violence.
Paul Griffin, founder and president of Cities at Peace said, "Verizon's support will go a long way toward our efforts to reduce domestic violence in the lives of our young people and their communities. We are not only proud of Verizon's support but greatly appreciate their willingness to invest in the well-being of the next generation as it strives to create more peaceful homes."
The Latino Center on Aging, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of Latino Spanish-speaking and largely homebound seniors, received a $7,000 grant in support of educational information and service programs for Latino elderly, their families, caregivers and service providers.
The President of Latino Center on Aging, Mario E. Tapia, said: "In New York City there are 320,000 Latinos aged 60 and older, and two-thirds of those live near or below the poverty level. After contributing their talents and energies to build our society, many Latino elderly continue to face difficulties in accessing information about existing services for the elderly. We want to thank the Verizon Foundation for supporting our efforts by generously providing the necessary resources to continue our work."
The Abyssinian Development Corporation (ADC), which is dedicated to rebuilding and investing in the Harlem community, received a $5,000 grant in support of ADC's education initiative, focusing on improving the quality of education in the central Harlem.
ADC President and CEO Sheena Wright said: "Verizon has been a steadfast supporter of the work of Abyssinian Development Corporation. We have been able to count on this good corporate neighbor to come through in support of our initiatives in workforce development, literacy, cultural activities, and education. We thank Verizon for putting their resources behind their promises to serve Harlem in so many ways."
In presenting the grants, Verizon Director of Government and External Affairs Sandy Wilson said, "These four organizations truly exemplify the excellent programs and diverse communities that the Verizon Foundation supports in Manhattan."
The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its free educational Web site, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence. In 2008, the Verizon Foundation awarded more than $68 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in an additional $26 million in combined contributions to nonprofits. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 3 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 87 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations provide converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. Wireline also includes Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 235,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.
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