CenturyLink Minnesota

QWEST FOUNDATION SUPPORTS READY 4 K PROGRAM WITH $7,500 GRANT

ST. PAUL, MN., Jan. 25, 2008 – The CenturyLink Foundation today announced a $7,500 grant to the Ready 4 K program, helping support the program’s objective of increasing Minnesota’s kindergarten readiness from 50 percent to 80 percent by the year 2012. Ready 4 K ensures children enter kindergarten encouraged, supported and fully prepared for learning success.

Qwest’s grant will support Ready 4 K’s Family, Friend and Neighbor Hmong prototype project, which focuses on caregivers in the Hmong community, a segment of the Minnesota population that currently has one of the highest percentages of children not ready for kindergarten. Caregivers of young Hmong children are taught skills for early childhood development, including social, emotional, learning, safety and health skills.

“The Ready 4K program is making a real difference in preparing children for kindergarten and future academic success,” said John Stanoch, CenturyLink president for Minnesota. “All of us here at CenturyLink are proud to offer our support to this important effort.”

“It’s extremely important that all of Minnesota’s children start kindergarten with the knowledge and skills they need to do their best in school,” said Todd Otis, Ready 4 K president. “We are pleased CenturyLink is recognizing our efforts and offering their support.”