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AT&T Wireless Grant to Help Detroit Parent Network

Posted on: Tuesday, 28 September 2004, 06:00 CDT

DETROIT, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Detroit Parent Network today announced it is one of only six nonprofits nationwide awarded an AT&T Wireless grant for using innovative wireless technology to better serve their communities.

The charity will use the $25,000 grant received through the AT&T Wireless Community Connections Award program to establish a wireless communications network delivering information to help parents better serve the educational needs of their children. The grant will be used to purchase Blackberry wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs) and to train parents in their use to access student test data, sign up for workshops and exchange information among parents.

The Detroit Parent Network was established in 2003 to provide Detroit school parents with the practical skills needed to effectively communicate, facilitate and identify resources to strengthen their parenting and family communications.

"The 25 Blackberry devices will be an important new tool aimed at improving communication, including quality and timely distribution of information to parents who do not have easy access to computers and the Internet," said Tonya Allen, Executive Director of Detroit Parent Network.

The AT&T Wireless Community Connections Award program was launched in March 2004. Nonprofits were encouraged to submit proposals for their technology programs. More than $140,000 was awarded to six recipients for their creative use of wireless applications.

The Blackberry devices have been delivered and members of the Parent Leadership Program are currently training with the devices to receive real- time email and attachments, access the Internet and send information to single or multiple users.

"It's exciting to see the innovation and enthusiasm the Detroit Parent Networks has for finding new ways to use technology to accomplish its goals," said Ken Gaffga, AT&T Wireless vice president of sales, Michigan. "It's blazing a new trail for other groups to see how wireless can greatly enhance the delivery of services to their communities."

For more information on the AT&T Wireless Community Connections Award program, visit http://www.attwscommunityconnectionsaward.org/ .

Detroit Parent Network

Detroit Parent Network is a premiere parent organization that transforms parents to make Detroit a better place to raise and educate children. Detroit Parent Network works to improve parent involvement in education by offering workshops, practical tools, written materials and leadership development, all designed to build a constituency of powerful parents for change. To learn more about Detroit Parent Network, visit us at http://www.detroitparentnetwork.org/ .

About AT&T Wireless

AT&T Wireless is the second-largest wireless carrier, based on revenues, in the United States. With 21.737 million subscribers as of June 30, 2004, and revenues of more than $16.8 billion over the past four quarters, AT&T Wireless delivers advanced high-quality mobile wireless communications services, voice and data, to businesses and consumers, in the U.S. and internationally. For more information, please visit us at http://www.attwireless.com/ .

AT&T Wireless

CONTACT: Louria Lindauer for Detroit Parent Network, +1-313-832-0617,llindauer@detroitparentnetwork.org , or Rick Ellis of AT&T Wireless,+1-440-716-3570, or Wireless, +1-216-272-8787, rick.ellis@attws.com

Web site: http://www.attwireless.com/http://www.attwscommunityconnectionsaward.org/http://www.detroitparentnetwork.org/http://www.attws.com/

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