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Alcatel-Lucent Foundation renews commitment to Young Science Achievers Program


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Foundation to provide support for research projects proposed by urban high school students with funding and mentoring by Alcatel-Lucent employees

North Branch, New Jersey -- The Young Science Achievers Program, which is dedicated to encouraging New Jersey and New York high school students from groups underrepresented in science, engineering, technology and math to pursue careers in those areas, announced today that the Alcatel-Lucent Foundation has renewed its support for the organization with a three-year commitment of $240,000. The Alcatel-Lucent Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Alcatel-Lucent.

The Young Science Achievers Program (YSAP) evolved from the Bell Labs Science Grant Program initiated in 1988. Through the years it has helped thousands of students with contributions from a variety of sources. Alcatel-Lucent alone has supported more than 500 students through mentoring activities organized by the Alcatel-Lucent Foundation.

The Foundation is co-funding YSAP’s Education Frontiers for Young Women and Youth in Under-Served Communities Program, which supports high school student research projects. In addition to providing a modest stipend to purchase supplies, scientists and researchers at Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent’s research arm, will provide advice and direction to the students.

“These are exciting project for students, and the Alcatel-Lucent Foundation is delighted to be able to encourage the curiosity and discipline that these students already demonstrate and are the hallmarks of researchers and scientists around the world,” said Bea Tassot, Alcatel-Lucent Foundation Executive Director. “Our high-tech world has an increasing need for people so interested in the world that want to personally investigate how things happen and what might be possible. We need more engineers and scientists and researchers, and programs such as this one to foster students with the potential for that kind of work to pursue careers in those fields.”

In the past, students have researched such topics as wireless network security, repair of cellular DNA, global warming in oceans and cosmic radiation physics. Students gain experience in formulating budgets, writing formal proposals and public speaking. The students are given a budget of up to $500 and participate in a competition, with the winning entry receiving a $1,000 cash prize and a summer internship at either Princeton University or at The City College of New York. The program also provides material to teachers to help them encourage students to take part in the program and guide them during the year.

“We are truly grateful that the Foundation has continued to support this program as we believe it does make a difference to these very special students who have a genuine interest in science but whose resources are limited and who do not automatically have the support needed to encourage their interest,” said Dr. Jorge Valdes, President of Young Science Achievers Program. “These types of program really do make a difference in the lives of these students – who knows, one of them may one day find a cure for cancer or a solution to global warming. The possibilities are limitless”

About the Alcatel-Lucent Foundation
The Alcatel-Lucent Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Alcatel-Lucent and it leads the company’s charitable activities. With a focus on education and volunteerism, the Foundation’s mission is to “Provide youth, with a special focus on girls and young women, in targeted underserved communities with access to education and life skills programs that will help prepare them to seek employment, higher education, and the opportunity to contribute as citizens and community leaders.”

To accomplish its mission, the Foundation manages grants and employee volunteerism on a global level. It is defined as a “charitable”, non-governmental, non-profit, private organization that receives its income from the corporation — Alcatel-Lucent — whose name it bears. However, legally it is an independent entity and is governed by its own board of trustees that is separate from the corporate board of directors.

About the Young Science Achievers
Young Science Achievers® is a nonprofit 501c(3) organization whose mission is to inspire and encourage groups underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math to pursue careers and study in these fields.

The program provides high school students in New Jersey and New York with resources, technical support, and mentoring to help students succeed in executing a science project. Targeting women of all ethnicities and males of African American, Hispanic, or Native American descent, YSAP® offers grants to high school students for the purchase of equipment and materials to do science research while receiving mentoring from teachers and professional scientists and engineers in industrial and academic research institutions. Students gain experience in formulating budgets, writing formal proposals, and public speaking. They present a poster session at the end of the program year and receive awards for well-written reports. Students are also given opportunities for research internships during the summer. By providing a positive, supportive, and successful experience in science, this program seeks to influence the students to choose careers in science and technology.

For more information about the Young Science Achievers, please contact Dr. Jorge L. Valdes at (908) 279-4545,

About Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) is the trusted partner of service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, providing solutions to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. A leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent leverages the unrivalled technical and scientific expertise of Bell Labs, one of the largest innovation powerhouses in the communications industry. With operations in more than 130 countries and the most experienced global services organization in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with a global reach. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 16.98 billion in 2008 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com



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