Staples Foundation for Learning Awards Nearly $300,000 in Grants to Support Educational Programs for Disadvantaged Youth

• Press Release
• Source: Staples Foundation for Learning
• On 8:00 am EST, Monday November 9, 2009

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Staples Foundation for Learning (SFFL), a private foundation created by Staples, Inc., (NASDAQ: SPLS - News) announced today it has awarded 29 grants totaling $287,875 to non-profit organizations dedicated to helping youth throughout the country. These organizations were selected for their commitment to providing educational programs that help at-risk youth develop the skills and confidence necessary to become responsible adults and future community leaders.

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“The organizations Staples Foundation for Learning supports closely align with our mission to teach, train and inspire youth to realize their full potential,” said Ron Sargent, president of Staples Foundation for Learning and chairman and chief executive officer of Staples, Inc. “We remain committed to recognizing organizations that focus on providing youth with educational and job skills opportunities to help them succeed in school and in life.”

Staples Foundation for Learning grant recipients include:

• Bay Cove Human Services, Boston, MA --- $5,000 to their Career Development Program, which provides education, therapy and job skills to youth with disabilities.
• Better Basics, Birmingham, AL --- $5,000 to Reading Intervention, which improves the reading skills, standardized test scores and self-confidence of disadvantaged elementary school students.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of MetroWest --- $25,000 to Technology For All, which teaches at-risk youth basic computer and technology skills to increase their future academic and employment opportunities.

• Carolina Youth Development Corporation, Charleston, SC --- $3,375 to Graphic Arts, a program that helps at-risk students gain workplace readiness skills through counseling and the arts.
• Center for Women and Enterprise, Providence, RI --- $5,000 to In Transitions, which provides low-income women with workforce development and entrepreneurial training to enhance their job opportunities and networking skills.
• College Summit, Culver City, CA --- $20,000 to College Preparation, which provides low-income students with the support and resources needed to successfully transition from high school to college.
• Common Wealth Development, Madison, WI --- $5,000 to Youth-Business Mentoring, which prepares disadvantaged teens for employment through internship experience, job training, placement and mentoring.
• Cornerstones of Care, Kansas City, MO --- $10,000 to Job Readiness, a program that teaches job, workplace and life management skills to foster care and transitional youth.
• ERTHNXT, Philadelphia, PA --- $15,000 to Tree Kits for Mentors, which enables inner-city youth to better understand natural science and the importance of protecting the environment.
• Graham Windham, New York, NY --- $5,000 to the Harlem Family Literacy Project, which offers educational enrichment activities to disadvantaged youth.
• InnerCity Entrepreneurs, Boston, MA --- $25,000 to StreetWise MBA, which provides inner-city business owners with training, tools and support to develop and grow their businesses.
• Jacksonville Urban League, Jacksonville, FL --- $10,000 to The Literacy League, which helps low-income youth realize their full potential through academic enrichment programs.

• John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, Boston, MA --- $10,000 to Federal Budget Simulation, a program providing high school students with a greater understanding of economic issues faced by the federal government and all U.S. citizens.
• Kids Corporation, Newark, NJ --- $2,500 to Mountain Classroom, which improves the leadership and life skills of underserved youth through enrichment activities.
• Literacy Volunteers of Coconino County, Flagstaff, AZ --- $10,000 to Literacy Initiatives for Tomorrow, which prepares illiterate youth to re-enter or graduate from high school, enter a GED program or find meaningful employment.
• Make Way for Books, Tucson, AZ --- $20,000 to Read to Me, Arizona!, a public awareness campaign that promotes the importance of early literacy skills development for low-income children.
• Marketplace for Kids, Inc., Bismarck, ND --- $10,000 to Educating Emerging Entrepreneurs, where young students create a business and learn about entrepreneurialism, financial literacy and leadership.
• Mentoring Network, Inc., Nampa, ID --- $7,000 to School-Based Mentoring, which provides at-risk youth with adult mentors who help them realize their full potential.
• Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter, Bentonville, AR --- $10,000 to the shelter’s on-site school, where trained staff educate victims of abuse and/or neglect and ensure their academic, physical and emotional needs are met.
• Operation A.B.L.E. of Greater Boston, Boston, MA --- $5,000 to Operation Service, which enables low-income adults to increase their career opportunities through customer service training.
• Partnership for our Kids, Omaha, NE --- $10,000 to Winners Circle, which provides disadvantaged elementary school students with positive academic enrichment experiences.
• PENCIL Foundation, Nashville, TN --- $5,000 to LP Pencil Box, a free volunteer-run school-supply store where teachers can obtain resources for their low-income students.

• Phillis Wheatley Association, Greenville, SC --- $10,000 to the Learning Center Scholars Program, which provides underserved children with academic instruction, enrichment activities and physical fitness.
• Reading is Fundamental, Washington DC --- $15,000 to Book Ownership for Reading Success, which helps young children grow their literacy skills and increase their love of reading.
• Saint Vincent’s Home, Fall River, MA --- $5,000 to Life Skills, which provides at-risk young adults with independent life skills and job development training.
• Self Enhancement Inc., Portland, OR --- $10,000 to Youth Potential Realized, which provides at-risk students with tutoring, mentoring and internship opportunities.
• Southern Natural Sciences Academy, Augusta, GA --- $10,000 to Growing Environmental Scientists, which increases inner-city youths’ science skills, understanding of nature and environmental stewardship.
• Youth Development, Inc., Albuquerque, NM --- $10,000 to Beyond the GED, which enables high school dropouts to obtain their GED and achieve professional success.
• Youth in Focus, Seattle, WA --- $5,000 to Youth Photography, which helps disadvantaged youth build their self-esteem, social skills and artistic abilities through photography.

About Staples Foundation for Learning

The mission of Staples Foundation for Learning, Inc. is to teach, train and inspire. Founded in 2002, the foundation has contributed more than $17 million to national and local charities that provide educational opportunities and job skills for all people, with a special emphasis on disadvantaged youth. Staples Foundation for Learning has also developed lasting relationships with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Earth Force, Hispanic Heritage Foundation and the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. In addition, Staples Foundation for Learning supports Ashoka, an organization that develops and supports social entrepreneurs around the world, in nine countries: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States. For more information about the foundation or how to apply for a grant, please visit www.staplesfoundation.org.

Staples Foundation for Learning
Briana Curran, 508-253-0203
Briana.Curran@Staples.com
or
Eva Pereira, 781-559-0424
Eva.Pereira@RFBinder.com