Staples Foundation for Learning Awards $300,000 in

Grants Will Help Twenty-Nine Educational Organizations Across the Country

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Staples Foundation for Learning, Inc., a private foundation created by Staples, Inc., (NASDAQ: SPLS) announced today it has awarded 29 grants totaling $300,000 to non-profit organizations dedicated to serving youth throughout the country. These organizations were selected for their commitment to providing disadvantaged youth with educational programs that help them succeed.

“From mentoring partnerships to on-the-job training, the organizations we are supporting engage youth with innovative, educational programs that help them realize their full potential.”

“Staples Foundation for Learning supports programs that truly make a difference in the lives of young people,” said Ron Sargent, president of Staples Foundation for Learning and chairman and chief executive officer of Staples, Inc. “From mentoring partnerships to on-the-job training, the organizations we are supporting engage youth with innovative, educational programs that help them realize their full potential.”

This quarter’s grant recipients include:

• 24^th Street Theatre, Los Angeles, CA -- $10,000 to the After 'Cool Theatre, Saturday Explorer Series and Enter Stage Right, programs that allow at-risk students to experience the magic of theatre and develop the skills to meet the California standards for the Visual and Performing Arts’ specific curriculum.
• Arizona Students Recycling Used Technology, Mesa, AZ -- $10,000 to support the StRUT Scholars program that teaches students technical skills to recycle used technology.
• Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA -- $10,000 to Berklee City Music, a program that engages urban youth through music education to help increase their self-esteem and foster artistic talent.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest, Marlborough, MA -- $25,000 to the Technology for All program that provides Club members with basic computer skills and a safe after-school learning environment.
• California Center for the Arts, Escondido, CA -- $5,000 to My Story, a program that promotes the arts by providing quality artistic, cultural and educational opportunities.
• College Mentors for Kids, Inc., Indianapolis, IN -- $10,000 to support Mentor Program Expansion that motivates at-risk children to achieve their potential through mentorship and academic education.
• Crittenton Community School, Columbus, OH -- $7,800 to Reading and Math Enhancement, a program that empowers students to become successful in the classroom and responsible members of the community through a nurturing individualized educational experience.
• Denver Public Schools Foundation, Denver, CO -- $10,000 to the Light on After School program, which provides underserved youth with an after-school program that improves their educational success.

• Dreams of Wilmington, Wilmington, NC -- $5,100 to support Literacy Through the Arts, an after school program designed to improve the literacy skills of disadvantaged youth through weekly classes in bookmaking, photography and creative writing.
• Empowerment Group, Philadelphia, PA -- $5,000 to Youth Entrepreneurship, a program that provides inner-city youth with financial literacy education to improve their future career opportunities.
• Graham Windham, New York, NY -- $10,000 to the Beacon Center, an after-school program that supports the education and literacy needs of inner-city students and their families.
• Hockomock Area YMCA, Franklin, MA -- $2,500 to the Integration Initiative, a program that provides an integrated setting for youth with disabilities to interact in standard YMCA classes and programs.
• I Have a Dream – Houston, Houston, TX -- $15,000 to support Mentoring Matters, a mentoring program that will inspire at-risk youth to believe in themselves and succeed.
• Inner City Entrepreneurs, Cambridge, MA -- $25,000 to promote wealth generation, job creation and community building for inner-city small businesses.
• Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates, Cincinnati, OH -- $15,000 to the Career Association program that helps high school students improve their academic, social and work skills.
• Jobs for Youth, Chicago, IL -- $10,000 to the Special Training Skills and Customer Service Skills program that allows low-income individuals to stay and advance in the workforce to the point of sustainable self-sufficiency.

• John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, Boston, MA -- $10,000 to the Federal Budget Stimulation program to increase high school students’ understanding of the federal government budget process and connection to policy choices.
• Kids Corporation, Newark, NJ -- $10,000 to Mountain Classroom, an academic enrichment and health program that improves the lives of Newark children through activities that promote healthy development and stimulate learning.
• Mentors Inc., Washington, DC -- $10,000 to support a mentoring program that will provide disadvantaged youth with caring adult mentors who support their academic, career and personal needs.
• Nashoba Learning Group, Westford, MA -- $2,500 to the Vocational Training program, which prepares youth with autism with the tools to become actively involved in the workforce.
• National Aquarium in Baltimore, Baltimore, MD -- $10,000 to Aquarium on Wheels, a program that provides science education and job training experience to underserved high school students.
• Oak Park Business and Education Alliance, Oak Park, MI -- $15,000 to the Career Focused Education program that allows low-income youth to develop their career goals at an early age by facilitating mentoring relationships with Detroit area business professionals.
• Orlando Community and Youth Trust, Orlando, FL -- $10,000 to the Parramore Kidz Zone Education Initiative that provides at-risk youth throughout Orlando with academic tutoring, mentoring and enrichment activities.
• Outward Bound, Denver, CO -- $10,000 to support the Expeditionary Learning School’s faculty professional development Writing Institute, a program that emphasizes an active teaching and learning environment through rich learning expeditions.

• Partners in Out-of-School Time, Charlotte, NC -- $10,000 to Middle School Matters, a program that enables at-risk youth to achieve success in school and prepare for future work opportunities.
• Salt Lake CAP Head Start, Salt Lake City, UT -- $2,150 to the Reading is Fundamental Family of Readers, a program that prepares and children to read by providing literacy resources to low-income families.
• Teach for America, Denver, CO -- $25,000 to support the launch of Teach For America in Denver, a program that will provide local children with the opportunity to attain an excellent education.
• United Through Reading, San Diego, CA -- $5,000 to support a reading military program that helps unite deployed military parents with their children by reading books aloud via DVD and then sending the recordings home for their child’s enjoyment.
• YMCA of the Triangle Area, Holly Springs, NC -- $5,000 to Y-Learning, a program that provides academic and cultural enrichment tutoring programs to disadvantaged youth.

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 over $11.5 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.