ST. LOUIS, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless has announced its sponsorship of putting the InsideOut documentary in every St. Louis public school, enabling all area students to learn more about the importance of remaining in school and graduating. The company made the announcement this week to more than 160 St. Louis educators, community leaders, parents and students gathered at the Carr Lane VPA Middle School. Through a partnership with The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation, Verizon Wireless has provided funding to make sure that all students in the area receive the opportunity to witness this moving film.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091120/CL15628 )

InsideOut, a documentary developed by The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation, allows students to see firsthand the importance of the choices they make. InsideOut exposes the real story of the devastating and lasting effects of dropping out of school, told by those who live with the consequences every day: prison inmates.

"After seeing the documentary and hearing the emotional messages from these inmates, Verizon Wireless knew that we wanted to bring this powerful illustration of the importance of staying in school to students in St. Louis," said Justin Stiehr, Director of Marketing for the Kansas/Missouri Region of Verizon Wireless.

InsideOut has been seen in 43 states across the country. "The dropout rate in the U.S. has reached unbelievable proportions, and we have to use creative approaches to reach our youth and encourage them to stay in school. We are grateful to Verizon Wireless and St. Louis Public Schools for helping us further our mission to increase the graduation rate in St. Louis and other communities across the state and nation," said Shelley Stewart, President and Founder of The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation.

"It is essential that we encourage our youth to stay in school and get an education," said Dr. Kelvin Adams, Superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools. "Education is of fundamental importance, and we are excited to partner with The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation and Verizon Wireless to provide students with an opportunity to witness the power of education, and also the likely consequences that await those who make the choice to drop out of school."

InsideOut will start being shown in local schools in the near future.

"Dropping out of school has serious consequences on our youth, families and neighborhoods," said State Representative Jamilah Nasheed. "We are pleased that our students can experience initiatives like InsideOut in order to encourage them to stay in school. Increasing the graduation rate is not only better for the students, but it also helps produce a better educated and skilled workforce for our communities."

To learn more about The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation or to have InsideOut shown in your school or community organization, visit www.mattiecstewart.org.

About The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation

The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation is a national non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the dropout rate. The Foundation was established in honor of Dr. Shelley Stewart's late mother, Mattie C. Stewart, in the summer of 2007 and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. Its primary corporate partner is o2ideas, Inc., a corporate communications and brand relations firm also based in Birmingham. The mission of the Foundation is to create tools and resources to help educators, community leaders and parents effectively address the dropout rate and increase the graduation rate. The Foundation also partners with America's Promise Alliance, the National Dropout Prevention Center and Communities In Schools. For more information, visit www.mattiecstewart.org.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving 89 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high- resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About St. Louis Public Schools

St. Louis Public Schools provides a world-class education and is nationally recognized as a leader in student achievement and teacher quality. The district provides a quality education for all students in order to enable them to realize their full intellectual potential.

SOURCE The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation