A+ College Ready announces lead donors

Alabama Power, Regions gifts will foster next generation of scientists, engineers

BIRMINGHAM – Stepping forward as lead donors at the state level, the Alabama Power Foundation and Regions Financial Corp. have joined A+ College Ready to help more Alabama students succeed in college-level courses.

Both the Alabama Power Foundation and Regions pledged $400,000 over five years to A+ College Ready, a statewide initiative to strengthen Advanced Placement programs in Alabama.

"Alabama has enjoyed many economic development successes over the past several years, and with this success comes the need to train and educate a workforce that can fill new jobs coming into the state," said Alabama Power Executive Vice President Steve Spencer.  "The A+ College Ready program will help prepare Alabama's high school students for tomorrow's workforce. Alabama Power is pleased to be a part of this significant education endeavor. "

Together, the lead gifts total $800,000. In addition, Alabama Power has given office space for A+ College Ready.

"Regions is committed to making life better for the communities in which we work and live across Alabama," said Bill Ritter, North Central Alabama Area Executive for Regions. "Our support to A+ College Ready is an important investment in a more prosperous and rewarding future for students from across the state"  

Through the Advanced Placement -- or AP -- program, motivated high school students can take college-level courses in a high school setting. A+ College Ready will expand AP offerings in math, science and English, and it will provide financial incentives tied to academic results.

“Both Alabama Power and Regions have a long track record of supporting initiatives to improve K-12 education, and, with their visionary leadership, they immediately understood what an enormous opportunity this is for Alabama,” said Ted C. Kennedy, A+ College Ready Chairman and a Founder of BE&K. “Through their generosity, Alabama Power and Regions are partners in something that will accelerate improvements in public schools and open new opportunities for Alabama's children.”

The Alabama Power Foundation works to improve the quality of life of Alabamians and strengthen the communities in which they live. Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Co., provides reliable, affordable electricity to more than 1.4 million customers across the state.

Regions Financial Corp. is a member of the S&P 100 Index and Forbes Magazine's "Platinum 400" list of America's best big companies. With $138 billion in assets, Regions is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, trust, securities brokerage, mortgage and insurance products and services.

A+ College Ready is a division of the Montgomery-based A+ Education Foundation, which is partnering on this initiative with Gov. Bob Riley, the State Board of Education, State Superintendent of Education Joe Morton, the Alabama Power Foundation and the Alabama Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Coalition.

A+ College Ready was created with a $13.2 million, six-year grant from the National Math and Science Initiative. It is the largest private grant on record for K-12 public education in Alabama.

NMSI works to help America maintain its global leadership position in technological innovation. Exxon Mobil Corp. is NMSI’s largest contributor, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation are also major donors.

Since 1991, the A+ Education Foundation has advanced policies, programs and initiatives that result in high achievement by every child in Alabama's K-12 public education system. A+ is the home of the Alabama Best Practices Center and A+ College Ready.

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