NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Verizon Foundation has awarded Tennessee schools grants totaling $50,000 to enhance their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs using resources at Thinkfinity.org, an award-winning educational website with tens of thousands of free, engaging materials for teachers and students. Thinkfinity.org contains resources that make learning fun, including K-12 lesson plans, in-class activities and videos that can be found quickly and searched by grade level, keyword or subject.

"Verizon Thinkfinity.org offers high-end resources to our students' educators, allowing quick and easy access to teaching and learning materials from some of the most trusted names in education," said Julie C. Smith, vice president of external affairs for Verizon's Southeast region. "Our hope is that these grants will equip teachers with the tools they need to engage students in STEM subjects and take student achievement in Tennessee even higher."

Tennessee schools that received a $5,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation include:



    --  Brentwood High School Funding will support science and mathematics
        teachers in a project focused on increasing students' ability to think,
        analyze, and communicate by incorporating technology into the classroom
        for research in the STEM disciplines.


    --  Woodbury Grammar School Funding will support Cub Club, a free
        after-school program for students in K-8th grade that provides academic
        enrichment through project-based learning and advanced technology tools.


    --  Franklin County School District Funding will allow the district to
        implement the use of Thinkfinity.org for professional development that
        will increase teacher effectiveness as measured by the Tennessee
        Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP).


    --  Gallatin Senior High School Funding will allow two library media
        specialists to attend the International Society for Technology in
        Education (ISTE) Conference 2012 in San Diego, CA to learn ways to
        collaborate with teachers and students to implement technology in
        education programs.


    --  Homestead Elementary Funding will support the Going the Extra Mile for
        Students (GEMS) and Helping Our People Excel (HOPE) programs, before and
        after school learning labs that serve and support academically at-risk
        and socioeconomically disadvantaged students.


    --  Lake City Middle School Funding will support Lake City Middle School's
        initiative to use Thinkfinity.org to train faculty in the Related Arts
        disciplines--including physical education, teen living, music, art,
        reading concentration, band and technology--to integrate broader
        academic topics into their classes.


    --  Rhea County Schools Funding will allow two chemistry teachers to attend
        the Tennessee Science Teachers Association annual conference in
        Murfreesboro, Tenn. The funds will also support plans for high school
        chemistry and physics teachers to integrate Thinkfinity.org into their
        lesson plans.


    --  Stone Elementary School Funding will help the school implement an after
        school science and engineering club by enabling the school to access
        scientific instruments for STEM studies.


    --  Union City Schools Funding will support Math Attack, an event held
        before 2012 TCAP testing that promotes interactive math learning
        opportunities for fifth grade students.


    --  William James Middle School Funding will allow four educators in the
        STEM disciplines to attend the "2012 STEM Trek: Journey to the Next
        Generation" conference.

Verizon Thinkfinity.org resources are aligned to state and national standards and offer elementary through high school teachers resources across eight academic disciplines, from science to English to mathematics, to improve student achievement. In addition to providing standards-based resources from the nation's leading educational organizations, Thinkfinity.org also offers a comprehensive professional-development program that allows teachers to sign up for free online or face-to-face training to learn how to make the most of its tools.

Verizon Thinkfinity.org also offers a free online community teachers can join to discuss the hottest topics in education. Additionally, members can get access to exclusive content, like videos from renowned voices such as retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, entrepreneur and former NBA all-star Earvin "Magic" Johnson, educator Dr. Ben Carson, and digital communications expert Jason Falls, who provides insights into topics like the role of civics in education, digital classrooms and social media use in today's education system.

To access these videos from the Verizon Thinkfinity.org Speakers Series visit http://community.thinkfinity.org/community/speakerseries.

The Verizon Foundation aims to help people live healthy, safe and independent lives by addressing disparities in education, health care and sustainability. Since 2000, the Verizon Foundation has invested more than half a billion dollars to improve the communities where Verizon employees work and live, and Verizon employees have logged more than 6.2 million hours of service to make a positive difference in their communities. For more information, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with nearly 109 million total connections nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500. A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 194,000. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon Foundation