ATLANTA, Sept. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Communities In Schools of Marietta/Cobb County (CISMCC) has been presented with a $200,000 AT&T Aspire contribution to support and extend CISMCC's onsite coordinators – making CISMCC the only Georgia organization nationwide to share in $10 million to help stem the high school dropout crisis.

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The AT&T Aspire contribution will provide a site coordinator in the 9^th grade at both Marietta and Osborne High Schools. The site coordinators will work with 9^th graders and their families to help remove the non-academic barriers to the student's success in school.

"This opportunity that is being afforded Communities In Schools of Marietta/Cobb County through the AT&T Aspire Grant is very important to help students make a successful transition to high school with goals for a bright future," said Carol Fey, Executive Director of CISMCC. "We look forward to working with both school systems and AT&T to offer this opportunity to those students who may face a struggle with their transition from middle to high school. CIS of Marietta/Cobb County truly appreciates AT&T's vision to help alleviate those hurdles by supporting the CIS Dropout Prevention Model.

"AT&T is making a significant commitment to the development of our future workforce by providing support for a documented model that increases the number of students graduating from high school," said Dr. Emily Lembeck, Superintendent of Marietta City Schools. "Marietta City Schools especially appreciates the opportunity provided by AT&T and CIS to better address the sometimes overwhelming academic and social needs of students who are at a high risk for failure in the ninth grade. In fact, it can easily be said that AT&T is a great corporate partner in supporting a critical school system goal."

Educators in schools and non-profits across the country have a unique understanding of the challenges students face in their communities. Through a competitive process, 47 schools and non-profits, including CISMCC, were selected from thousands nationwide. To learn more about all of the organizations that were selected, please visit [ www.att.com/local-impact ].

In the United States, one student drops out of school every 26 seconds. Nationally, students from low-income families drop out at a rate four times higher than students from higher income families.

"It is critically important to our state that these young people succeed in school ready for college or the workplace," said State Representative Ed Setzler. "AT&T's support of these students will provide important interventions and support the work of the dedicated teachers, administrators and parents who make our schools work."

"Keeping our teenagers in high school and preparing them for success after graduation benefits our students and our communities," said Sylvia Russell, President of AT&T Georgia. "We are proud to support this impressive program and to help these students stay in school and to take the next steps toward college and career."

The AT&T Aspire program, with more than 1 million students impacted since its launch in 2008, is one of the largest corporate commitments focused on stemming the high school dropout crisis. AT&T announced a new quarter-billion-dollar expansion to the program in March, bringing the total commitment to $350 million.

The mission of Communities In Schools is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. In over 200 communities across 27 states, we work closely with schools, social services, businesses and thousands of volunteers to get young people the things they need to learn and grow: mentors and tutors, after-school help, family services to stabilize the home. Without these basic supports, kids in need or at-risk are far less likely to succeed and grow into productive adults.

Marietta City Schools (MCS) serve some 8,000 students at eight elementary choice schools—one of which is a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Magnet—one middle school, one sixth-grade school, and one high school. MCS is home to five Georgia Schools of Excellence: West Side Elementary (1985); Marietta Middle School (1987); A.L. Burruss Elementary (1991, 2003); Marietta High School (2003); Marietta Center for Advanced Academics (2011); and one National School of Excellence: A.L. Burruss Elementary (1992). The school district has approximately 1200 employees. In June 2008, Marietta City Schools became one of Georgia's first [ Charter Systems ].

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About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: [ T ]) is a premier communications holding company and [ one of the most honored companies in the world ]. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse^® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

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About Philanthropy at AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: [ T ]) is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its philanthropic initiatives, AT&T has a long history of supporting projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; and address community needs. In 2011, more than $115 million was contributed through corporate-, employee- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.

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Communities In Schools of Marietta/Cobb County to Help More Teens Graduate High School with $200,000 Aspire Contribution from A

Communities In Schools of Marietta/Cobb County to Help More Teens Graduate High School with $200,000 Aspire Contribution from AT&T