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Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce honors IBM Twin Cities
    for its dedication to the IBM MentorPlace Program

        IBM in the Twin Cities has received the Quality of Life Award from the
         Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce for the IBM MentorPlace
           program. The Quality of Life Award is presented annually to showcase
            businesses that have engaged in innovative efforts to improve the quality
             of life for customers, community members and employees in the
             Twin Cities region.

IBM was honored for its MentorPlace partnership with Willard Math, Science, and Technology Center, a K-6 school located in Minneapolis. Through this

                   partnership, over 200 IBM employees serve
           as e-mentors to third- and fourth-grade students.
   These students and mentors communicate online via
IBM Learning Village, technology that uses the power
of the Web and the security of Lotus Notes to enable
dynamic discusions focused on student learning.

Working with their IBM mentors, the students, who
are just 9- and 10-years of age, receive help
in reading, writing, math, and technology skills.
Most important, the students know they have
a caring adult in their lives who wants them to
be successful.

"I noticed a marked difference in the students'
reading skills from the beginning of this school
year," a Willard teacher proudly stated. Over 67
percent of Willard students surveyed last year also
stated that they felt they read better as a result of
working with IBM employees online.

Seated from left to right: Erin Klug, fourth grade teacher, Willard Elementary; Shirley Buchanan, Principal, Willard Elementary; Jennifer Johnson, Community Liaison, Willard Elementary; Ryley Kramka, 3rd grade student; Rachel Matsumoto, Ryley's third grade teacher; Marilee Keim, IBM MentorPlace Core Team Leader; Susan Putnam, IBM Corporate Community Relations Manager;

Standing: Keith Braafladt, Director of Learning Technologies, Science Museum of Minnesota; John Kramka, Ryley's father; Joellen Gonder-Spacek, Vice President, Business Development, Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota; John Overbeck, Minneapolis Senior Location Executive; Ken Stoffregen, IBM Mentor to Ryley.

"This is a wonderful program," another teacher remarked. "I can see that the students are excited
about corresponding with their mentors; they can't wait to log on to IBM Learning Village
to read a note from their IBM e-mentor."

Through a partnership with the Science Museum of Minnesota, a series of online activities are being
developed that provide an opportunity for students and mentors to explore the vast array of online
images on the Science Museum's website. These activites are being made available to more than
40 other local IBM MentorPlace programs throughout the United States and around the world.

According to Louise Dickmeyer, CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, "All sizes of business
from the global -- IBM Corporation - to the six-employee company . . . can and do contribute to our
quality of life. And it is the individual employees at these companies who are making life better for
you and me and our community."