Arthur Blank Family Foundation

Atlanta, April 18, 2008 – The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation today announced it is awarding $100,000 through its Better Beginnings initiative to Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta (CMA) to expand its community outreach program, Connected Learning ... Connected Communities.

Through a 2007 Blank Foundation grant, CMA developed the Connected Learning …Connected Communities program to engage families and neighborhoods in the education of young children by offering the museum and its unique educational tools as a partner and a resource to Atlanta’s Pittsburgh and Adair Park communities. The new Blank Foundation grant will enable the museum to implement and expand the program into an additional community while also maintaining the program in the neighborhoods of Pittsburgh and Adair Park.

"Strong and healthy parent/child relationships are necessary for optimal development in young children," Blank Foundation president Penelope McPhee said. "Children who are exposed to nurturing environments are more successful in school and adult life. The museum’s Connected Learning…Connected Communities program gives parents the tools they need to promote learning through fun activities."

For more information on Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, visit www.imagineit-cma.org.

Created in 2004, the Blank Foundation’s Better Beginnings initiative focuses on improving the lives and opportunities of children from prenatal to age five through partnerships with nonprofit organizations committed to healthy outcomes for young children and their families. The foundation’s partners assist parents and other caregivers in promoting healthy learning environments as well as acquiring the financial resources needed to increase family assets.

Formed in 1995, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is focused on improving early childhood development, enhancing education, preserving green space, sustaining the arts and sparking collaboration among its nonprofit partners, primarily in Atlanta.

Arthur M. Blank is owner & CEO of the Atlanta Falcons and Georgia Force. He co-founded The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, in 1978 and retired from the company as co-chairman in 2001. Through his generosity, the foundation, along with Blank and his wife’s personal giving, has granted over $220 million to various charitable organizations.