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More than 650 metro Atlanta students to participate in mentoring program ATLANTA, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 650 metro Atlanta students will join their peers from across the Southeast when they step from their schools into the world of telecommunications as BellSouth (NYSE:BLS) employees mentor students during National Job Shadow Day. Kicking off on Groundhog Day, students will follow services technicians, engineers, customer service representatives, company executives and other BellSouth employees on the job for a hands-on learning experience, where they will see the importance and relevance of what they are learning in school. "Helping to prepare tomorrow's leaders is one of the most significant contributions we can make to our communities," said Ron Frieson, president of Georgia Operations for BellSouth. "Through interacting with employees in our work locations, we want to help students see what opportunities may be available to them. We hope it's an experience that encourages them to stay in school and work to develop skills that will be necessary for their futures." Students who participate in job shadowing experiences are more likely to seek employment during high school, are more likely to expect to finish high school and are more likely to believe they will obtain a college degree, according to an evaluation of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth conducted by the Kravis Leadership Institute, Claremont McKenna College for the Groundhog Job Shadow Day Coalition. Launched regionally by BellSouth in 1996 and expanded to the national level in 1998, Groundhog Job Shadow Day gives students a firsthand look at the world of work and helps them to see how what they are learning in school relates to what skills are needed in the business environment. The National Job Shadow Coalition, formed in 1998, includes America's Promise, Junior Achievement, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Labor. About BellSouth Corporation BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. BellSouth has joint control and 40 percent ownership of Cingular Wireless, the nation's largest wireless voice and data provider with 54.1 million customers. Backed by award-winning customer service, BellSouth offers the most comprehensive and innovative package of voice and data services available in the market. Through BellSouth Answers(R), residential and small business customers can bundle their local and long distance service with dial-up and high-speed DSL Internet access, satellite television and Cingular(R) Wireless service. For businesses, BellSouth provides secure, reliable local and long distance voice and data networking solutions. BellSouth also offers print and online directory advertising through The Real Yellow Pages(R) and YELLOWPAGES.COM(TM) from BellSouth. BellSouth believes that diversity and fostering an inclusive environment are critical in maintaining a competitive advantage in today's global marketplace. More information about BellSouth can be found at http://www.bellsouth.com/. First Call Analyst: FCMN Contact: DATASOURCE: BellSouth CONTACT: Media, LeAnn Boucher of BellSouth, +1-404-986-0330, or Web site: http://www.bellsouth.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/095650.html

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