HOUSTON, Sept. 19, 2005 - Recognizing the key role Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas plays in preparing students to be future leaders, the AT&T Foundation has awarded the organization a grant of $10,000.

“Through the years, Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas has brought the real world to students, opening their minds to their potential,” said John Griffin, AT&T regional vice president. “This grant will help extend the reach of Junior Achievements’ free enterprise education curriculum to help the youth of Houston gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.”

Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas provides programs for more than 161,000 Houston area children. The organization''s programs are delivered in 55 school districts through the efforts of more than 9,100 volunteers and 5,900 teachers.

“One of the things Junior Achievement and AT&T have in common is that we both believe there''s a lot that''s right with today''s kids,” said Jerry Mutchler, president of Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas. “Kids crave opportunity, want to be successful and dream big about the future. With AT&T’s help, Junior Achievement will continue to offer hands-on experiences to help young people understand the economics of life.”

Griffin announced the grant during a visit to the Junior Achievement headquarters in Houston.

Editor’s Note: A high-resolution photograph featuring the check presentation is available for download.

Caption for photo: John Griffin (center) of AT&T presents a check for $10,000 to Frank Steininger (left), chairman of Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas and Jerry Mutchler (right) president of Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas.

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About Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas

Since 1945, Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas'' mission has been to educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise and to understand business and economics. Providing children with positive adult role models who illustrate ways to build self-confidence, develop skills and find avenues of success in our free enterprise system, is a hallmark of Junior Achievement. Junior Achievement is a volunteer driven, non-profit organization.

About AT&T

For more than 125 years, AT&T (NYSE: T) has been known for unparalleled quality and reliability in communications. Backed by the research and development capabilities of AT&T Labs, the company is a global leader in local, long-distance, Internet and transaction-based voice and data services.