AT&T Foundation Awards $15,000 Grant to the Spanish Community of Wallingford

Sen. Fasano applauds grant that will add STEM training to youth leadership program

Steve Knight, SCOW Treasurer (Board of Directors); Adriana Rodriguez, SCOW Children & Youth Program Coordinator; Senator Len Fasano; Maria F. Campos Harlow, SCOW Executive Director; Kelly Wade Bettuchi, AT&T Associate Director-External Affairs; Christopher Stone, CT STEM Academy of Wallingford Executive Director; Craig Turner, Wallingford Youth & Social Services Director

WALLINGFORD– AT&T Foundation has awarded a $15,000 grant to the Spanish Community of Wallingford, which will support the organization’s efforts to expand the town’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educational program.

Comunidad Hispana de Wallingford Inc. – the Spanish Community of Wallingford (SCOW) – is a Connecticut organization dedicated to creating greater opportunities for underserved members of the local Latino community.

This year, SCOW is partnering with the Connecticut STEM Academy to add high-level STEM programs to the organization’s ¡Adelante! America Youth Leadership Program – a year-round program that helps high school students from immigrant families build leadership skills, improve academic performance and develop a commitment to community service.

“We are proud to support SCOW and Connecticut STEM Academy in their efforts to ensure every student in Wallingford has the opportunity to learn vital technical skills,” said AT&T External Affairs Director, Kelly Wade Bettuchi. “In just a few years, these students will be leaders in our community. Thanks to organizations like SCOW, our state’s future will be in good hands.”

“We are grateful to AT&T for this generous grant to increase opportunities for more students to participate in SCOW and the Town of Wallingford’s STEM program,” said Connecticut Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano (R – Durham, East Haven, North Haven, Wallingford). “We are fortunate that AT&T recognizes that we are a diverse community and understands the value and opportunity our STEM program affords the students of Wallingford under the direction of SCOW and its collaborators.”

SCOW was one of only three Latino organizations across the country selected to deliver the ¡Adelante! America Youth Leadership Program.

About ¡Adelante! America Youth Leadership Program

¡Adelante! America Youth Leadership Program is designed to build leadership skills, improve academic performance, instill an attitude of community service and reduce behaviors that lead to disciplinary action. The activities that are included in the program are centered around 1) career orientation and guest speakers, 2) critical thinking and problem-solving activities, 3) planning and implementing a community service project, 4) planning and implementing a youth leadership conference, 5) STEM education enrichment workshops and activities, and 6) field trips.

Due to the success of ¡Adelante! America, and with the support of the United Way of Meriden and Wallingford, this fall we will be implementing Pasos ¡Adelante! The purpose of the program is to assist middle school students to have a successful transition to high school.

About Connecticut STEM Academy

CT STEM Academy was established in 2012 as a collaborative program between the Wallingford Youth and Social Services and the Spanish Community of Wallingford (SCOW) with support from the Wallingford Rotary Club and Connecticut Education Association. This innovative enrichment program is designed for students interested in deepening their knowledge of STEM concepts. Our programs place a special emphasis on gender equity, cultural diversity and direct family involvement. Current, and past, supporters of this program include: 3M, NASA Summer of Innovation Project, and the National Education Association Foundation. For more information on our program, please see our website at www.ctstemacademy.org.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, mobile, high speed Internet and voice services. We’re the world’s largest provider of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. In the U.S., our wireless network has the nation’s strongest 4G LTE signal and most reliable 4G LTE. We offer the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider*. And we help businesses worldwide serve their customers better with our mobility and highly secure cloud solutions.