Qwest launches program around Education, Online Safety, Identity Theft Prevention.

Qwest Communications International Inc. has launched a new, comprehensive Spanish-language educational program called Motivate.Educate.Elevate. to highlight information and opportunities made available by Qwest that reflect important multicultural values.

The ongoing Motivate.Educate.Elevate. program is being introduced in conjunction with National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) and just before Cyber Security Month (October). Motivate.Educate.Elevate. primarily encourages community involvement and education, promotes online safety and helps prevent identity theft.

A new Spanish-language Web site at www.qwest.com/motivate is the focal point of the program. The site provides resources for parents, teachers and the Hispanic community to learn about safety programs and technology grants available through the Qwest Foundation.

“Motivate.Educate.Elevate. provides some of the most comprehensive Spanish-language information about technology, education and safety initiatives,” said Ric Padilla, vice president of corporate social responsibility at Qwest. “At the Web site, visitors can view information made available from Qwest about a variety of things, including how to help keep their kids safe from online predators and how to nominate their schools to receive funding for new classroom technologies.”

The three primary components of the Motivate.Educate.Elevate. program are:

— Community Involvement and Education. Qwest is a strong supporter of pre-K through 12th grade education. Students and teachers can learn how they can partner with Qwest to benefit from various reading and technology initiatives, including how to nominate their classroom for a Teachers & Technology grant. The Qwest Foundation provided more than $5 million in grants to schools and organizations that supported pre-K through 12th grade education in 2006, and 79 percent of all Qwest Foundation grants were awarded to non-profit organizations that significantly serve the Hispanic community.

— Online Safety. Qwest helps families surf safer and smarter on the Internet. Online exploitation continues to have a startling impact, especially on young Internet users. According to a recent study conducted by the University of New Hampshire researchers for National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, one in seven youths online is sexually solicited, and one in three youths will encounter unwanted exposure to sexually explicit material online. According to eMarketer, there were 15.7 million Hispanic users of the Internet in the United States in 2005, and that number is expected to reach nearly 21 million by 2010.

— Identity Theft Prevention. Qwest is a leader in educating consumers about the dangers of fraud and identity theft. According to the Federal Trade Commission, 26 percent of Hispanics have been victims of consumer fraud. Hispanics are victimized twice as often as the general population. According to a 2006 identity fraud survey conducted by Javelin Strategy Research, Hispanics are disproportionately affected by identity theft and experience the highest average loss of funds when compared to losses experienced by other ethnic groups.