Bellsouth Foundation Donates Money For Online Education

The BellSouth Foundation announced it will spend $20 million over five years to improve online education and technology access in nine states in the southern United States. The BellSouth Foundation is the charitable arm of BellSouth, which serves the southern region. The foundation is specifically charged with improving education and, according to Mary Boehm, president of the foundation, decided a year ago to focus its efforts exclusively on virtual learning. The new initiative will fund virtual learning programs and will work to bring technology and Internet access to children in poor areas of the region.

A pilot site for the initiative in Atlanta is working on job-shadowing technology and an online algebra course for middle and high school students. Organizers hope to create eight similar sites, one in each of the other states of the program. Boehm said, “We wanted to be sure all kids, not just the privileged, could be part of the virtual learning movement.”

Associated Press, 29 November 2005