For more information, contact:
Jessica Erickson, AT&T Wisconsin
608-692-5340 (cell)
jessica.erickson@att.com
AT&T Announces $35,000 Donation to
Support UW-Madison’s PEOPLE Program
Program Helps Underserved, First Generation Wisconsin Youth
Successfully Prepare for and Complete Higher Education
MADISON, Friday, December 12, 2014 — UW-Madison’s PEOPLE (Pre-College Enrichment Opportunity
Program for Learning Excellence) program received a $35,000 donation from AT&T today to support the
program’s mission to help underserved students prepare for and successfully complete higher education.
PEOPLE is a year-round pipeline learning adventure that challenges and stimulates underrepresented,
economically disadvantaged and first generation students who are considering a college education. AT&T
has supported the PEOPLE Program since its inception in 1999. To date, the company has provided more
than $1.5 million to support the program.
“The PEOPLE program has a proven track record of excellence in advancing the educational achievements
of students from underserved communities throughout Wisconsin,” said Patrick J. Sims, interim vice provost
and chief diversity officer at UW-Madison. “Thanks to the support of AT&T and others, the PEOPLE
program has expanded over the years to now serve more than 1,300 students from across the state.”
The $35,000 AT&T donation will help support the program’s work during the spring semester to provide
academic and mentoring services to PEOPLE College Scholars. Some of those services include academic
advising, mentoring, tutoring, problem solving, peer-to-peer support, career development activities and
linking to internship opportunities.
“AT&T is very proud to support the UW-Madison PEOPLE program and their efforts to help students
succeed academically and be prepared for the workforce,” said Scott T. VanderSanden, president of AT&T
Wisconsin. “The PEOPLE program is doing critical work to help increase the number of Wisconsin high
school graduates who not only enroll, but graduate from UW System institutions.”
Over 330 students participate as scholars in the PEOPLE program at UW-Madison.
The six-year pre-college portion of the PEOPLE program begins in the summer after 6th grade and continues
until high school graduation. One hundred percent of participants graduate from high school and 95 percent
enroll in higher education. Seventy one percent enroll in UW System schools, with 52 percent enrolling at
UW-Madison.
For more information about PEOPLE, please visit http://www.peopleprogram.wisc.edu/.
As a company, AT&T has a long-standing commitment to helping advance the education of the nation’s
young people. In Wisconsin, AT&T has provided financial contributions to support programs like UWMadison’s PEOPLE program that help students succeed academically and in the future workforce.
Nationally, AT&T has also launched its AT&T Aspire program -- one of the nation’s largest corporate
initiatives committed to helping more students graduate from high school ready for college and careers.
More than 1 million students in all 50 states have been impacted since Aspire launched in 2008.
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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 2010, more than $148.2 million was contributed through corporate-, employee- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs.
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