-Colgate-Palmolive Donates $30,000 to Support Entrepreneurial Program and the Summer Youth Employment Program-

Atlanta, GA (June 18, 2008) – Selected high school students in Atlanta have an exciting summer ahead as the city announces its partnership with Colgate-Palmolive’s EMPOWER youth entrepreneurial program and Kroger supermarkets as part of the kick off to the “Mayor’s Youth Program.”   

Mayor Shirley Franklin will join the students and business and community leaders at a press conference at the Atlanta Technical College on Wednesday, June 18 at 10:00 a.m.   Mayor Franklin will lend her encouragement and support of the students and discuss the positive effect that summer jobs and entrepreneurialism has on the community.
                       
Colgate-Palmolive has contributed to youth employment and development programs nationwide for the past 15 years, donating more than $2 million.  This year Colgate-Palmolive has selected Baltimore and Atlanta to participate in a new initiative called EMPOWER, for “Entrepreneurial Mentoring Preparing Our World Through Education.” These workshops will showcase to students the benefits and rewards of entrepreneurialism.

“The EMPOWER program has the distinct ability to take young people who are interested in entrepreneurship, provide them with mentors and nurture them as they pursue the education necessary to accomplish their goals,” said Mayor Shirley Franklin who launched the Mayor’s Youth Program in 2005. “This partnership between the Mayor’s Youth Program, Atlanta Technical College, Colgate-Palmolive and Kroger will prove to be invaluable to this group of young people who may not have had the tools necessary to start their own businesses and the confidence to know that they can be successful.”

The Mayor’s Youth Program is administered by the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency and provides individualized planning for all High School seniors in the Atlanta Public School system.  The outreach program targets over 2,000 students a year, who are transitioning into post-secondary education, employment, or the military.  Students receive intensive counseling, summer internships and financial assistance to cover their unmet needs in attending college.  Since 2005, over 1,550 students have received financial support and over 2,500 have been placed in internships in the public and private sector.

The EMPOWER entrepreneurial workshops will be created and managed by the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency (AWDA) and Atlanta Technical College, two local organizations who utilize entrepreneurships as a vehicle for change within the community.   Atlanta Technical College has long emphasized the benefits of entrepreneurship, and classes on the subject have been offered for years. Atlanta Technical College, named America's Best Community College by Washington Monthly, enjoys an annual enrollment of 12,000 and offers more than 100 programs of study. AWDA's primary purpose is to administer employment and training programs mandated under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 to the citizens of Atlanta to offer workforce solution services to metro Atlanta businesses. AWDA administers the Mayor’s Youth Program through the contributions of community businesses and organizations, private donations, and (WIA) funding.

Teens selected from the “Mayor’s Youth Program” will participate in the entrepreneurial program and will be paid a stipend of $100 per week and a part-time internship which pays $6.00 an hour for 25 hours per week.  The program runs for six weeks and will provide 25 young adults the opportunity to participate in interactive and fun learning experiences which include field trips, games, and guest speakers. 

According to a youth study conducted by Walstad and Kourilsky (1998), black/African American teens show an interest in entrepreneurship at an early age.  The study shows
that black/African American youth have a strongly favorable view of entrepreneurship, viewing starting a business as a way to be your own boss, build something for the family, earn a high income and fully use skills and abilities.  The study also indicates that this interest carries into adulthood.

“At Colgate, we believe that exposure to the rewards and benefits of being an entrepreneur will have a lasting and positive effect on these young adults and on the community,” said Wanda Austin-Wingood, brand manager of Multicultural Marketing at Colgate-Palmolive.  “These young people have so much to offer the city of Atlanta, and we hope that their experience with the EMPOWER program will be a stepping stone to their future success in whichever career path they choose.”  

Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company, tightly focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. Colgate sells its products in over 200 countries and territories around the world under such internationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Mennen, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sorriso, Kolynos, Elmex, Ajax, Axion, Soupline, and Suavitel, as well as Hill's Science Diet and Hill's Prescription Diet pet foods. For more information about Colgate's global business, visit the Company's website at http://www.colgate.com.