Sprint Achievement Program Selects 69 Kansas City-Area Educators for 2008 Grants

Sprint (NYSE:S) announces the 2008 recipients of the Sprint Achievement Program, a community program through which Sprint, through the Sprint Foundation, provides annual grants to Greater Kansas City-area K-12 educators.

For the 2008-9 school year, Sprint, through the Sprint Foundation, will provide 69 grants ranging from $500-$5000 and totaling more than $296,000. This year’s grants will bring the program’s five-year total contribution to more than $1.6 million. Grants will be distributed to schools across the Kansas City area, with the highest number going to the Blue Springs School District, which will receive eight grants for more than $38,000. To view a complete list of this year’s recipients, please visit www.sprint.com/community/education.

“The Blue Springs School District is both proud and honored to receive Sprint Achievement Program Grants,” said Blue Springs School District Superintendent, Dr. Paul Kinder. “These grants will provide the resources for our teachers to implement a variety of programs that will improve the instruction for students. Sprint is an excellent partner in the education of our youth.”

“Sprint understands that the educators are the experts in education and the Sprint Achievement Program was designed with this in mind. It’s the educators who know what is needed to improve academic performance in their schools,” said Ralph Reid, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility and Executive Director of the Sprint Foundation. “By reviewing and approving grants that have been tailored to individual schools and classrooms, the Sprint Achievement Program is able to assist in educators’ tailoring programs to address areas of need for students, educators and families.”

Created in 2004 by working closely with area superintendents, the Sprint Achievement Program supports classroom-based projects that increase student achievement, provide enriched development opportunities for educators, and encourage family involvement in the student’s education. Educators applied for 2008 grants in April, and each grant was reviewed by a third-party committee representing a cross-selection of education stakeholders familiar with current curriculum development and learning resources needs. The grants will be distributed in August, when most area schools start back in session, and are to be used during the 2008-2009 school year.

To learn more about the Sprint Achievement Program and Sprint’s other community initiatives, please visit www.sprint.com/community.

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Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving nearly 53 million customers at the end of the first quarter 2008; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international walkie-talkie capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.