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list.

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http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/0
4-11-2008/0004790992&EDATE=
<http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/
04-11-2008/0004790992&EDATE=> 

GED Program Launches for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Youth

Verizon Foundation and IBM Partner to Help Youths Prepare for GED; JRI's

Boston GLASS Uses New Technology Tools

BOSTON, April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- It's tough enough to be a teenager

today, but for Boston teens who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or
transgender,

it can be traumatic. They often deal with homophobic bullying, have

alarmingly high school-dropout rates, and many are homeless.

But a unique new program created by Justice Resource Institute (JRI), a

nonprofit provider that advocates on behalf of children and adults who

experience the greatest barriers to social justice, may give these young

people hope.

"A Gateway To Success" was launched today by JRI's Boston Gay & Lesbian

Adolescent Social Services (Boston GLASS) Center, with the help of
Verizon

and IBM.

JRI received a $75,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation and 10 new

computers from IBM to support the new initiative, which that will
provide

workshops to help these young people complete their GEDs.

The program will prepare students by using Thinkfinity.org, the Verizon

Foundation's free, comprehensive online portal that features 55,000

educational resources. They include standards-based, grade-specific K-12

lesson plans and interactive tools and materials provided in partnership

with many of the nation's leading educational organizations.

"We are grateful for the partnership with the Verizon Foundation and

IBM," said Douglas M. Brooks, Vice President of Health Services for JRI.

"In many cases, these teens have been forced to leave their homes, and
for

many of them their education ends when they leave their communities and

must devote their time to supporting themselves.

"The support this grant provides will make a meaningful difference in

the lives of a diverse group of young people who struggle daily for

acceptance and are denied access to basic tools of survival such as a
high

school education."

Boston GLASS will be the first community-based setting to have a formal

agreement with Verizon to use the Thinkfinity program to prepare
students

for the GED tests to obtain a high school equivalency diploma.

"We understand how important it is for people to have a high school

education," said Donna C. Cupelo, Verizon region president of
Massachusetts

and Rhode Island. "Thinkfinity provides an online platform for students
to

get the education and training they need to get their GED. We are
pleased

to partner with IBM, JRI Health and Boston GLASS to use these technology

resources to make a difference in the lives of these young people."

"In a global and diverse world, it is important to ensure our young

people are educated," said Cathleen Finn, IBM corporate citizenship

manager. "Enabling our city's youth to get a basic education can create
the

foundation they need to build skills and eventually secure meaningful

employment."

About Justice Resource Institute

Justice Resource Institute (JRI), founded in 1973, has become one of

the Commonwealth's largest providers of services to children and adults

with emotional, behavioral, and learning related disabilities. JRI
operates

a variety of highly regarded educational, residential, and
health-related

programs, across Massachusetts and in other Northeast states, all aimed
at

supporting diverse individuals with varying needs. The advent of
HIV/AIDS

led the institute to create JRI Health in 1991 as a means of expanding
its

focus to more complex public health issues, including root causes such
as

homophobia, racism, and economic injustices. For more information, go to

http://www.jri.org <http://www.jri.org/> .

About The Verizon Foundation

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon

Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education

through its signature program, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness
and

prevention of domestic violence. In 2007, the foundation awarded more
than

$67.4 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the United States and

abroad. The foundation also matched the charitable donations of Verizon

employees and retirees, resulting in $25.1 million in combined

contributions. 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
Verizon's

inception in 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit

http://www.verizon.com/foundation <http://www.verizon.com/foundation> .

About IBM

For more information, please go to http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives/
<http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives/> 

 

 

SOURCE Justice Resource Institute

 

 

back to top

Related links:

http://www.jri.org <http://www.jri.org/> 

http://www.verizon.com <http://www.verizon.com/> 

http://Thinkfinity.org <http://thinkfinity.org/> 

http://www.verizon.com/foundation <http://www.verizon.com/foundation> 

http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives <http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives> 

http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/094251.html
<http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/094251.html>  /

 

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