AT&T Contributes More Than $520,000 to Help Urban Alliance Provide Students with Internships & Boost Graduation Rates in NoVA

McLean, VA, June 8, 2017 —Urban Alliance empowers under-resourced youth to aspire, work, and succeed through paid internships, formal training and mentorship. AT&T contributed more than $520,000 to enable the organization to expand its programs to serve students in Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax County in Virginia. All told, AT&T contributed $750,000 to Urban Alliance to also deliver quality programming for students in Chicago and Washington, DC.

AT&T’s contribution was highlighted during a special event featuring Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, where business leaders in Northern Virginia discussed the importance of programs like Urban Alliance to cultivating a strong workforce in Northern Virginia and nationwide.

Urban Alliance was selected as one of 18 recipients nationwide that will share in the $10 million from AT&T through the Aspire Connect to Success Competition. Hundreds of organizations applied to the competition, which is part of AT&T Aspire, our signature philanthropic initiative to help students succeed in school and beyond.

“Young people need a high school diploma to stay on track for college and career success. And our company’s future, as well as Virginia’s and the country’s, is dependent on today’s young people. Through Aspire, we support programs that invest in students, especially those who need it the most, so they can walk across the graduation stage ready for their future,” said J. Michael Schweder, president, AT&T Mid Atlantic. “With this contribution, Urban Alliance can reach more young people in Virginia and across the country. It’s a great way to prepare the next generation of business leaders in Virginia, and we’re excited to support their great work.”

“We are excited to have increased the number of young people we serve across Northern Virginia and to expand into Fairfax County with AT&T support. Nearly 6 million youth across America are not prepared for college and lack skills for the workforce. Urban Alliance provides training and hands on professional experience which builds our country’s future workforce and creates pathways to success for youth,” said Eshauna Smith, CEO of Urban Alliance.

Alessandra Colia, Executive Director of Urban Alliance Northern Virginia, added: “We are grateful for the AT&T investment, which has enabled us to extend our program to reach high school juniors, spending a full year training and equipping them for success in their senior year internships.”

The AT&T contribution to Urban Alliance is preparing 60 Fairfax County juniors for senior year internships and supporting more than 150 public high school seniors in their internships across Northern Virginia. AT&T’s investment is helping provide internship opportunities to almost 1,000 young people across Urban Alliance’s regions. Recent program data reflects that 100% of UA participants graduate from high school and 80% enroll and persist into their second year of college. All program graduates receive four years of support through Urban Alliance’s Alumni Services to ensure that they continue on pathways that will lead to rewarding careers and economic independence.

Aspire Connect to Success funding recipients deliver integrated student support, focus on college or career preparation, and/or provide mentoring or peer-to-peer supports to help underserved students graduate.

The 18 non-profits, including Urban Alliance, were selected based on their effectiveness in helping students graduate from high school ready for career or college. Selected programs use evidence based approaches to serve students and are able to demonstrate quantitative results.

About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T

AT&T is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; or address community needs. The company’s signature philanthropic initiative, AT&T Aspire, drives innovation in education to promote student success in school and beyond. With a financial commitment of $400 million since 2008, AT&T is leveraging technology, relationships and social innovation to help all students make their biggest dreams a reality.