Dell Empowers Children and Youth Through Technology Access

Dell YouthConnect, a global program designed to support education and digital inclusion initiatives for underserved youth, was launched in Morocco, South Africa and the United Kingdom today. Dell awarded $1.7 million in cash and in-kind grants of products to eight Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) that will assist more than 35,000 young people in the three countries.

The Dell YouthConnect program was launched in February 2009 and by the end of the year, Dell will have donated more than $8 million to educational and digital initiatives that will impact more than 100,000 young people in eight countries.

“As we grow our network of Dell YouthConnect partners across the world, we are laying the foundation for the success of future generations. We are delivering technology where it will have the most impact in creating life skills and enhancing the environment in which we live,” said Gil Casellas, vice president of corporate responsibility at Dell.

It’s estimated that every day, nearly 500,000 people get online for the first time in their lives. Most of these people live in emerging countries that will account for about 55 percent of the global volume of PCs in 2012, according to IDC*. People are changing how they connect and communicate and Dell’s vision is to help facilitate that change through access to the right technology resources and understand how to unleash each young person’s unique potential through technology.

Dell YouthConnect Partners

· Morocco - BAYTI, SOS Children’s Villages and UNICEF.

· South Africa – Christel House, Humana People to People, Sci-Bono Discovery Centre

· United Kingdom – Center for Digital Inclusion (CDI) , Action for Children

Details of programs by NPOs are available here: http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/d/corp-comm/global-giving.aspx

In addition to the announcement today, Dell YouthConnect has been launched in India, Brazil, Mexico and China this year and early 2010 will see the launch of Dell YouthConnect in France.