SAMSUNG, MICROSOFT, DIRECTV AND TEEN MUSIC STAR JORDAN PRUITT AWARD MORE THAN $2 MILLION WORTH OF TECHNOLOGY, SOFTWARE, CASH GRANTS AND EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION PROGRAMMING PACKAGES TO 31 SCHOOLS THROUGH SAMSUNG’S HOPE FOR EDUCATION PROGRAM
December 16, 2008

Tallahassee, Fla. – Dec. 16, 2008 – Samsung’s Hope for Education, Microsoft Corporation, and DIRECTV, Inc, along with teen music star Jordan Pruitt, will present Oak Ridge Elementary School in Tallahassee, Fla., with more than $200,000 in technology products, software, cash grants and educational television programming packages at a special assembly today for students, teachers and local dignitaries. Oak Ridge Elementary School is this year’s grand prize winner in Samsung’s fifth annual Hope for Education essay contest. Thirty first-prize schools from across the country will each receive more than $60,000 in technology, software, cash grants and educational television programming packages.

Thousands of essays were submitted through students, parents, teachers and principals looking for their community schools to benefit from this unique program.  This year’s essay question addressed the environment, asking entrants, “How has technology educated you on helping the environment and how or why has it changed your behavior to be more environmentally friendly?"  The grand prize and first prize schools will receive technology from Samsung including its award-winning and energy efficient  LCD high definition televisions, laptops, multi-function products, smart phones, digital camcorders and cameras, blu-ray players, LCD computer monitors, and color printers, as well as Microsoft’s latest, award-winning software. The program’s newest partner, DIRECTV, will provide cash grants and the SCHOOL CHOICE® educational television programming package*. The person who submitted a winning entry on behalf of each of the 31 winning schools will be awarded the Samsung Ultra Mobile PC, a handheld multi-media PC which features a 7” LCD screen and built-in keyboard.  (For a complete list of winners, please visit www.hopeforeducation.com.)

“We are honored and grateful to be selected as the grand prize school in Samsung’s Hope for Education program,” said Ms. D.J. Wright, principal of Oak Ridge Elementary School. “The technology, software, cash grants and educational television programming being donated by Samsung, Microsoft and DIRECTV will provide the teachers of Oak Ridge Elementary School with the most up-to-date education tools to help enhance the learning of our students."

In addition to the more than $200,000 in cash and prizes, Oak Ridge Elementary School will be awarded a classroom assistance dog for the school’s special education classroom. Samsung works with the National Education for Assistance Dog Service (NEADS) to provide an assistance dog to the winning school. Since 1976, NEADS has provided specially trained dogs for nearly 1,000 deaf and disabled children and adults. Introduced last year, the "Friends for Life” program was created by Samsung Group in Korea to provide financial support for the training of special service animals to assist those in need lead a better life through the use of a dedicated service dog.

“With programs like Hope for Education, we have the opportunity to help bridge the technology gap that many of our schools face,” said D.J. Oh, president and CEO, Samsung Electronics America. "The students of Oak Ridge Elementary School will certainly benefit from these new products and technology. It will allow them to reach new frontiers via the Internet and through the software, cash grants and educational television programming packages that Microsoft and DIRECTV will be providing. In addition, the classroom assistance dog will support the students who need it most.” 

“Microsoft is proud to be part of Samsung’s Hope for Education program – recognizing deserving schools that are exploring how technology can make real, impactful environmental contributions to our world,” said Anthony Salcito, general manager of U.S. Education at Microsoft. “The tools we are providing these winning schools will facilitate students’ learning and discovery in new ways.”

“DIRECTV is proud to support this educational initiative,” said Caroline Leach, vice president of Communications for DIRECTV. “Television does not exist in a vacuum, so to us, being a good corporate citizen stretches beyond the living room and into the classroom. We hope this year’s winning schools can benefit from our cash grants and SCHOOL CHOICE® educational television programming package.”

Furthering education and reading is an important initiative for teen superstar Jordan Pruitt.  Through Samsung’s partnership with her label, Hollywood Records, the teen sensation helped launch the 2008 Samsung Hope for Education program this spring in New York City with a special performance. She will also be on hand at today’s grand prize event to perform for the children of Oak Ridge Elementary School.  
 
“I am so excited to work with Samsung’s Hope for Education program and meet the students at Oak Ridge Elementary School,” said Pruitt.  “Receiving the best education possible has definitely helped me achieve what I have in my career and I appreciate the opportunity to work with Samsung, Microsoft and DIRECTV to spread the message about how important technology and education is in our day-to-day lives.”

Samsung’s Hope for Education contest was first announced in 2004 at the opening of the Samsung Experience, a unique and creative technology emporium in the Time Warner Center in New York City.  Since the original launch, more than 280 U.S. schools in 43 states have benefited from over $9 million in technology, software, cash grants and educational television programming package.

* SCHOOL CHOICE programming available as long as the prize winning school continues to qualify under the DIRECTV GOES TO SCHOOL program and as long as DIRECTV has the DIRECTV GOES TO SCHOOL program or a similar program.