GE Foundation Grants UNICEF $1.5 Million to Provide Children in Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico With a Head Start in Education

Grant is an Expansion of $1.2 Million Grant Made in 2004

NEW YORK, March 28 -- The United States Fund for UNICEF today announced it is the recipient of a $1.5 million grant from the GE Foundation meant to strengthen early childhood development (ECD) programs in Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico.

The grant comes nearly two years after GE awarded the children's agency $1.27 million for ECD programs in China and Mexico.

"UNICEF's ECD programs aim to give vulnerable children the best start in life by preparing them to enter school healthy, well-nourished, intellectually curious, socially confident and equipped with a solid foundation for learning," said Charles J. Lyons, president of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "The GE Foundation has proven to be a consistent and responsive partner to the needs of children around the world."

The $1.5 million grant will fund Preparing Children for Life Long Learning: Strengthening ECD Programs in Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico. The project goal is to maximize the number of young children from disadvantaged backgrounds in the three countries to have equal access to education and ensure they have a solid foundation for learning.

"The GE Foundation is pleased to expand its grant to UNICEF for early childhood development, which is essential to a child's future success and well-being," said Bob Corcoran president of the GE Foundation. "An integrated approach to early childhood development ensures that children get the best start in life through school readiness programs, plus quality health and nutritional services."

In partnership with the governments of Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico, UNICEF will assist in helping to identify and better understand the disparities in readiness among children who are entering a formal educational setting for the first time.

This program will have significant impacts on children and their families in each country. In Brazil, family capacity to participate in and support their children's learning from a young age will be increased. In Indonesia, communities will be empowered to provide early learning opportunities for children and to ensure that those children are properly prepared to enter formal schooling. In Mexico, states that are not meeting child development standards will receive support to improve their results, thereby improving children's ability to succeed.

In addition, the grant will also help to align early learning experiences with first grade curricula to guarantee that children are ready for school; schools ready for children and families engaged in supporting the transition.

GE Foundation began its support of UNICEF's work in 1999 through emergency relief and matching gifts and has extended its support to ECD. In May 2004 the GE Foundation awarded a $1.27 million dollar grant to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to support ECD programs in China and Mexico. The funds -- at that time -- represented the largest corporate gift given to the U.S. Fund specifically for ECD activities.

About GE Foundation

The GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of the General Electric Company, works to strengthen educational quality for disadvantaged youth globally; and supports GE employee and retiree giving and involvement in GE communities around the world. In 2005, the GE family contributed more than $215 million to community and educational programs, including $71 million from the GE Foundation. For information, visit http://www.gefoundation.com/.

About UNICEF

Founded in 1946, UNICEF helps save, protect and improve the lives of children in 155 countries through immunization, education, health care, nutrition, clean water and sanitation. UNICEF is non-partisan and its cooperation is free of discrimination. In everything it does, the most disadvantaged children and the countries in greatest need have priority. For more information about UNICEF or to make a donation, please visit http://www.unicefusa.org/ or call 1-800-4UNICEF.