Press Releases

FACT SHEET

QWEST FOUNDATION GRANTS SUPPORT MENTORING, READING PROGRAMS IN OREGON

GRANT DETAILS

• $10,000 in grants from the Qwest Foundation, Qwest Communications’ philanthropic program, benefits Oregon Mentors and SMART® (Start Making A Reader Today). Both programs serve children throughout the state of Oregon.
• A $5,000 grant to Oregon Mentors helps to train and screen potential volunteers that mentor Oregon youth.
• A $5,000 grant to SMART, a book and reading program for kindergarten through third-grade pupils, supports production and distribution of “SMART News,” a statewide newsletter that keeps volunteers and other key groups informed about volunteer opportunities, program developments and events.
  • The grant to SMART is a continuation of Qwest’s long-term support of literacy programs.

OREGON MENTORS TRAINING AND SCREENING PROGRAMS

• Oregon Mentors recruits and trains volunteers and provides training and technical assistance to staff of more than 170 school- and community-based mentoring programs throughout Oregon.
• Mentoring 101 courses, offered throughout the state for no charge, provide volunteers with a general introduction to mentoring and the skills that are key to successful mentoring relationships. These skills include effective communication, active listening, problem solving, confidentiality and building trust.
• Oregon Mentors also supports local mentoring organizations through training sessions that focus on planning, recruitment, volunteer background checks, mentor support and program evaluation. These courses, also offered throughout Oregon at no charge, are based on Quality Assurance Standards established by the National Mentoring Partnership.
• In 2004, Oregon Mentors expects to refer 600 volunteers to local mentoring programs through recruitment activities, outreach and its Web site.
• Since its launch in 2001, Oregon Mentors has matched more than 12,000 volunteers with local mentoring programs.
• According to Oregon Mentors, youth involved in mentoring programs are more likely to attend school, less likely to begin using alcohol and illegal drugs, less likely to engage in school violence, and have improved peer and family relationships.

SMART PROGRAM INFORMATION

• SMART’s vision is to transform children’s future through reading. By linking children and books through volunteers, SMART benefits children in kindergarten through third grade at risk of low literacy and its associated negative outcomes.
• SMART volunteers read with two children for one hour a week during the school year. Each month, SMART, gives participating students two new books to take home, keep and read with their families.
• According to the Eugene Research Institute, fifth graders who participated in SMART are 60 percent more likely to meet the Oregon State benchmark level for reading than similarly situated students who did not take part in the program.
• During the 2004-2005 school year, SMART is projected to reach 12,000 students at 272 elementary schools throughout Oregon. Since SMART began in 1992, it has served 77,000 children.
• SMART projects that 10,000 volunteers will participate in the program during the 2004-2005 school year. Volunteers have donated more than 1.7 million hours to the SMART program since 1992.
• SMART projects it will donate 170,000 books to participating students during the 2004-2005 school year. Since 1992, SMART has given away more than 1.2 million books.

ABOUT OREGON MENTORS
Oregon Mentors was established in early 2001 as a partnership between business and government leaders, and nonprofit program providers, to expand mentoring opportunities for all Oregon youth. Oregon Mentors is endorsed by the National Mentoring Partnership and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Portland Business Alliance. For more information about becoming a mentor, go to www.ormentors.org or call 1-866-450-4040.

ABOUT SMART®
SMART brings thousands of Oregonians together to transform our children’s future through reading. A cost-effective, non-profit statewide literacy program, SMART gives Oregon children the extra reading support, new books, and caring one-on-one attention they need. Since 1992, SMART volunteers have provided more than 1.7 million hours of service to more than 77,000 Oregon children, and have given away nearly 1.2 million books. To learn more about SMART, to volunteer, or pledge a donation, call 1-800-355-3999 or visit www.getsmartoregon.org.

ABOUT THE QWEST FOUNDATION
The Qwest Foundation's core principle is that investing in people and communities provides lasting value for the future. The Qwest Foundation awards grants to community-based programs that generate high-impact and measurable results, focusing on K-12 education and economic development.

The Qwest Foundation's philosophy is to help build strong communities through investing in people and the places where they live and work. For more information, contact www.qwest.com/foundation.

CONTACTS:

Qwest Contact
Stacia Dahl
503-242-8534
stacia.dahl@qwest.com

Oregon Mentors Contact
Barbara Caplan
503-542-2750
Barbara@ormentors.org

SMART Contact
Linda Riedman
503-937-4813
lriedman@orednet.org