Ford Motor Company Joins With Scholastic and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) to Donate 50,000 Books to Children in Time for the Holidays

National Children's Education Program to Promote Safety and Literacy Launches Online, at Home and In Schools

NEW YORK, Dec. 23 -- Ford Motor Company joins forces with Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine(R) and the nation's oldest and largest children's and family literacy organization Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF) to donate 50,000 children's books to children in need this holiday season. The book donation is part of a national early childhood education program developed by Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine and Ford, to help children learn about safety and literacy. The program reaches millions of parents, teachers and children, online, at home and in more than 100,000 preschool and kindergarten classrooms nationwide.

As part of the national education program, Ford and Scholastic developed an interactive online book donation program offering parents and teachers the opportunity to log-on to the official safety Web site at www.clueintosafety.com and select one of eight popular Scholastic children's books to donate to a child in need. Since the launch of the Web site this fall, a total of 50,000 books have been donated. This month, RIF will donate the books to underprivileged children at schools in select markets including: Alabama, California, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Texas and Washington.

"Through the efforts of Ford, Scholastic and RIF, thousands of children will have new age-appropriate books in their hands this holiday season," said Stefanie Angeli, publisher of Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine. "This program truly meets the critical mission to help all children learn to read and love to read and provides a learning link for parents and teachers about the safety of their children at home and in the classroom."

"RIF is fortunate to be able to partner with organizations such as Ford and Scholastic that are so committed to children's literacy," said Carol H. Rasco, RIF president and CEO. "This donation will help RIF continue our mission to get books to the children who need them most and motivate those kids to read, learn, and grow."

Ford and Scholastic's safety and literacy program also includes in-school and at-home components. This fall, Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine, distributed 100,000 free classroom posters, which feature an alphabet of safety tips, to kindergarten and preschools nationwide. The posters were preschools and kindergartens nationwide. In addition, Scholastic and Ford distributed materials for parents, which included information and activities to help children learn how to follow directions and build a sense of responsibility and self-esteem at home.

"We believe that this safety program is a great tool to promote learning in the community, said Connie Fontaine, marketing manager, Ford Motor Company. "Ford is committed to life-long learning and believes an investment in education is an investment in our future."

The official safety Web site at www.clueintosafety, also provides parents and teachers with important tips and information on various safety situations including: vehicle, home, school, playground and fire safety. Children can enter "Safety Blue's Neighborhood" and enjoy fun, interactive activities with Blue from Blue's Clues(R).

About Scholastic

Scholastic Corporation is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and direct- to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries, and television networks; and the Company's Internet Site, www.scholastic.com.

The Ford Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, supports programs that enhance and enrich the communities where Ford Motor Company does business. Ford Motor Company Fund is committed to creating educational opportunities that stimulate creativity and promote cultural diversity. In 2002, Ford Motor Company Fund dedicated over $40 million to educational initiatives and $11 million to cultural sponsorships, from nationally touring exhibitions and performing arts events, to university scholarships and programs geared towards school children. For more information on programs made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund, visit www.ford.com.

Reading Is Fundamental, Inc., prepares and motivates children to read by delivering free books and literacy resources to those families who need them most. The oldest and largest children's and family nonprofit literacy organization in the U.S., RIF operates through 435,000 volunteers at 23,000 sites nationwide. RIF programs annually serve 5 million children of all ages, most of whom are at risk of educational failure, with a focus on those from birth to age 11. Supported by the U.S. Department of Education, corporations, foundations, community organizations, and individuals, RIF has provided more than 250 million books for children to choose and keep.