Nine-Year-Old Author, With Help From Legendary Actor James Earl Jones, Performs ’Literary Improv’ to Showcase Technology’s Impact on Education

ATLANTA - With a laptop in hand, 9-year-old author Adora Svitak -- assisted by legendary actor James Earl Jones, information from Thinkfinity.org and suggestions from a crowd of 250 -- will perform a literary improvisation at the Georgia World Congress Center as part of the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC).

During the 20-minute demonstration, to be held Tuesday (June 26) at 12:30 p.m., Adora will create a complete short story. The event, a Literary Improv, is designed to showcase her creative talents while highlighting the impact technology can have on education and the creative process.

“Education is the key to unlocking opportunities for children,” said Verizon Senior Vice President Michelle Robinson, who is responsible for all the company’s external affairs and activities in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

“At Verizon, we’re committed to working with educational leaders to help utilize technology to provide children, teachers and families with access to a wide variety of educational resources. This will ensure that all children have the best opportunity to be the innovators of tomorrow,” she said.

The Literary Improv is one of several activities at the NECC designed to demonstrate the educational resources available for free at Thinkfinity.org.

Thinkfinity.org is the Verizon Foundation’s signature educational and literacy program and online portal to more than 55,000 standards-based, grade-specific, K-12 lesson plans and other educational resources provided in partnership with many of the nation’s leading educational organizations.

For more than two decades, the NECC has been the premier forum at which to learn, exchange ideas and survey the field of educational technology. This annual conference presented by The International Society for Technology in Education and keyed to the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), features hands-on workshops, lecture-format and interactive concurrent sessions, discussions with key industry leaders, and the largest educational technology exhibit in the world.

The conference is being held June 24 - 27 at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, serving 60.7 million customers nationwide. Verizon’s Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation’s most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon has a diverse workforce of more than 238,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $88 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.