GED Program Launches for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Youth

Verizon Foundation and IBM Partner to Help Youths Prepare for GED; JRI's
Boston GLASS Uses New Technology Tools

BOSTON, April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- It's tough enough to be a teenager today,
but for Boston teens who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, it can be
traumatic. They often deal with homophobic bullying, have alarmingly high
school-dropout rates, and many are homeless.
But a unique new program created by Justice Resource Institute (JRI), a
nonprofit provider that advocates on behalf of children and adults who
experience the greatest barriers to social justice, may give these young
people hope.
"A Gateway To Success" was launched today by JRI's Boston Gay & Lesbian
Adolescent Social Services (Boston GLASS) Center, with the help of Verizon and
IBM.
JRI received a $75,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation and 10 new
computers from IBM to support the new initiative, which that will provide
workshops to help these young people complete their GEDs.
The program will prepare students by using Thinkfinity.org, the Verizon
Foundation's free, comprehensive online portal that features 55,000
educational resources. They include standards-based, grade-specific K-12
lesson plans and interactive tools and materials provided in partnership with
many of the nation's leading educational organizations.
"We are grateful for the partnership with the Verizon Foundation and IBM,"
said Douglas M. Brooks, Vice President of Health Services for JRI. "In many
cases, these teens have been forced to leave their homes, and for many of them
their education ends when they leave their communities and must devote their
time to supporting themselves.
"The support this grant provides will make a meaningful difference in the
lives of a diverse group of young people who struggle daily for acceptance and
are denied access to basic tools of survival such as a high school education."
Boston GLASS will be the first community-based setting to have a formal
agreement with Verizon to use the Thinkfinity program to prepare students for
the GED tests to obtain a high school equivalency diploma.
"We understand how important it is for people to have a high school
education," said Donna C. Cupelo, Verizon region president of Massachusetts
and Rhode Island. "Thinkfinity provides an online platform for students to
get the education and training they need to get their GED. We are pleased to
partner with IBM, JRI Health and Boston GLASS to use these technology
resources to make a difference in the lives of these young people."
"In a global and diverse world, it is important to ensure our young people
are educated," said Cathleen Finn, IBM corporate citizenship manager.
"Enabling our city's youth to get a basic education can create the foundation
they need to build skills and eventually secure meaningful employment."
About Justice Resource Institute
Justice Resource Institute (JRI), founded in 1973, has become one of the
Commonwealth's largest providers of services to children and adults with
emotional, behavioral, and learning related disabilities. JRI operates a
variety of highly regarded educational, residential, and health-related
programs, across Massachusetts and in other Northeast states, all aimed at
supporting diverse individuals with varying needs. The advent of HIV/AIDS led
the institute to create JRI Health in 1991 as a means of expanding its focus
to more complex public health issues, including root causes such as
homophobia, racism, and economic injustices. For more information, go to
www.jri.org.
About The Verizon Foundation
The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications,
supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its signature
program, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic
violence. In 2007, the foundation awarded more than $67.4 million in grants
to nonprofit agencies in the United States and abroad. The foundation also
matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting
in $25.1 million in combined contributions. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of
the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and
retirees have volunteered more than 3 million hours of community service since
Verizon's inception in 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit
www.verizon.com/foundation.
About IBM
For more information, please go to http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives/
SOURCE Justice Resource Institute

Douglas Brooks of JRI, +1-617-457-8150 Ext. 2511, or +1-617-851-9809,
dbrooks@jri.org