Staples Foundation for Learning Awards Nearly $330,000 in Grants to Support Educational Programs for Disadvantaged Youth

Staples Foundation for Learning, a private foundation created by Staples, Inc., (NASDAQ: SPLS) announced today it has awarded 36 grants totaling $328,825 to non-profit organizations dedicated to serving youth throughout the country. These organizations were selected for their commitment to providing educational and job skills programs that help at-risk youth develop the skills necessary to become responsible adults and community leaders. "Staples Foundation for Learning is committed to supporting organizations that provide disadvantaged youth with growth opportunities,” said Ron Sargent, president of Staples Foundation for Learning and chairman and chief executive officer of Staples, Inc. "These recipient organizations embody the foundation’s mission to teach, train and inspire young people from all walks of life to realize their full potential.” Staples Foundation for Learning’s newest grant recipients include: Accel, Phoenix, AZ --- $5,000 to Schools-to-Work Job Coach Project, an intensive job readiness program that enables disabled youth to prepare for the workforce. After-School All Stars, Los Angeles, CA --- $20,000 to All Stars Sustainability, an after-school program that provides at-risk youth with academic enrichment activities. Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA --- $10,000 to Aquarium Scholarship Fund, which provides elementary school students with hands-on marine science education. Arts-Kids, Inc., Park City, UT --- $10,000 to Arts-Kids' after school program that teaches youth with disabilities to positively express themselves through art. Blue Kiwi, Forest, VA --- $6,000 to Grow One Summer Camp, which enables inner-city students to increase their entrepreneurial and business skills. Bottom Line, Boston, MA --- $10,000 to College Access, which prepares low-income students to graduate from high school and enter college. Boys & Girls Club of Kingman, Kingman, AZ --- $3,000 to MethSMART, which encourages youth to stop using drugs and achieve academic success. Boys & Girls Club of Newton, Newton, MA --- $5,000 to the Learning Center, which provides Boys & Girls Club members with academic support and mentoring. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, LA --- $2,725 to Super Film Camp, which teaches disadvantaged youth basic film skills and techniques. Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD --- $10,000 to National Summer Learning day, which is an annual event promoting continued learning throughout the summer. Center for Women & Enterprise, Providence, RI --- $10,000 to Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurial Training to Girls, which provides Latina youth with financial management skills. Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation, Carrboro, NC --- $10,000 to the Teacher Store, which enables teachers from disadvantaged school systems to receive free supplies for their classrooms. The Children’s Museum of Denver, Denver, CO --- $10,000 to G.R.O.W. Science and Literacy Collaborative, which increases students’ academic success through interactive, educational exhibits. Citizens Schools --- $25,000 to support after-school programs in Newark, NJ; New Brunswick, NJ, Austin, TX and Houston, TX that enable low-income youth to grow their team-building and leadership skills. The Civic Education Project, Boston, MA --- $5,000 to Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project, which increases high school students' understanding of civics and the American legal system. East Michigan Environmental Action Council, Detroit, MI --- $10,000 to Learning Sustainability, which provides youth with the resources to become environmental leaders. The Education Foundation of Harris County, Houston, TX --- $21,000 to Teacher of the Month, which recognizes teachers for their commitment to student success. Girls for A Change, San Jose, CA --- $10,000 to Girls for A Change National Expansion, which inspires girls to identify social issues in their community and implement solutions. Greater Palm River Point, Tampa, FL --- $7,500 to The Palm River Youth Corps, which teaches inner-city youth entrepreneurial and business literacy skills. John Andrew Mazie Memorial Foundation, Wayland MA --- $5,000 to Mazie Mentoring, which recruits and trains adult volunteers to serve as positive role models for low-income youth. Junior Achievement of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM --- $10,000 to Junior Achievement Hispanic Initiative, which teaches underserved Hispanic youth financial literacy skills. Kids in Need Foundation, Dayton, OH --- $10,000 to their National Network Summit, which helps company employees learn best practices to most efficiently run their free school supply stores for teachers from low-income schools. Kunte Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation, Annapolis, MD --- $7,600 to Building Literacy through Multi-Generational Teaming, which unites youth with their grandparents to learn about African-American culture and history through reading. Lisa Najemy Scholarship Fund, Inc., Framingham, MA --- $10,000 to the Lisa Najemy Scholarship Fund, which ensures low-income children have access to quality child care. This fund was created in memory of Lisa Najemy, a former Staples associate, who advocated for quality early care and education for young children. Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth (MITY), St. Paul, MN --- $5,000 to MITY AID, which enables underserved high school students to prepare and succeed in college. NetworkArts Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA --- $7,500 to Educational Mosaics, which enables students to create art to beautify their school. Open Meadow Alternative Schools, Portland, OR --- $5,000 to Career Services Transition Advocate, which enables youth to grow their career skills. Operation A.B.L.E., Boston, MA--- $5,000 to Operation Service, which enables low-income adults to increase their career opportunities through customer service training. The National Science and Technology Education Partnership (NSTEP), New York, NY --- $10,000 to NSTEP Study Buddy, which helps students increase their science and technology skills. PENCIL, Inc., New York, NY --- $10,000 to Pencil Partnership Program, which creates long-term relationships between business leaders and public schools to increase the quality of education. Prevention Council of Central Ohio, Columbus, OH --- $3,500 to support an after-school program that enables at-risk youth from Hispanic and Latino backgrounds to improve their academic skills. Project R.I.S.E., Braintree, MA --- $10,000 to support Project R.I.S.E's summer program that enable youth to receive academic tutoring and support. Resonate, San Francisco, CA --- $15,000 to Spark Apprenticeship Program, which motivates at-risk middle school students to succeed and become engaged citizens. School-to-Work Council, Inc., Paris, KY --- $10,000 to Plan for Success, which enables high school students to develop and improve their character and leadership skills. Teaching for Change, Washington, D.C. --- $10,000 to Roving Readers, which enables parents to read with children and share culturally diverse stories. Youth Base, Greenville, SC --- $5,000 to support their after-school program that provides at-risk youth with academic support and mentoring. About Staples Foundation for Learning The mission of Staples Foundation for Learning, Inc. is to teach, train and inspire. Founded in 2002, the foundation has contributed more than $12.5 million to national and local charities that provide educational opportunities and job skills for all people, with a special emphasis on disadvantaged youth. Staples Foundation for Learning has also developed lasting relationships with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Earth Force, Hispanic Heritage Foundation and the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. In addition, Staples Foundation for Learning supports Ashoka, an organization that develops and supports social entrepreneurs around the world, in eight countries: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and the United States. For more information about the foundation or how to apply for a grant, please visit www.staplesfoundation.org.