[Techtaffy Newsdesk]

AT&T is launching a quarter-billion-dollar campaign to help more students graduate from high school ready for careers and college. AT&T Aspire, a corporate educational initiatives with more than $100 million invested since 2008, will tackle high school success and college/career readiness for students at-risk of dropping out of high school through a much larger, “socially innovative” approach. The expanded effort centers on a new, $250 million financial commitment planned over 5 years.

AT&T Aspire will be using technology to connect with students in new and more effective ways, such as with interactive gamification, Web-based content and social media. The company will also tap the innovation engine of the AT&T Foundry to look for fresh or atypical approaches to educational obstacles.  Finally, AT&T Aspire will capitalize on the power of personal connections in the form of mentoring, internships and other voluntary efforts that involve many of AT&T’s approximately 260,000 employees.

“AT&T Aspire works toward an America where every student graduates high school equipped with the knowledge and skills to strengthen the nation’s workforce,” AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson said while announcing the extended commitment during a keynote address at the second annual Building a Grad Nation Summit.

AT&T and the AT&T Foundation have invested more than $100 million in Aspire since 2008.

[Image Courtesy: AT&T]