DALLAS, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The NBCUniversal Foundation today awarded $100,000 in grants to three local non-profit organizations helping them implement innovative community programs as part of a newly launched initiative called 21st Century Solutions.

The recipients include:

Junior Achievement of Dallas - $50,000
Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas - $25,000
REACH - $25,000

Tom Ehlmann, president and general manager of NBC 5, said, "It is our responsibility to serve our North Texas communities and we do so in a number of ways, from providing daily news and information to alerting viewers when severe weather may damage their homes or threaten their lives.  Our partnerships with local non-profit communities are another way for us to reach out and touch the people in our viewing area, especially people in need of help.  We are delighted to be able to extend this program, and these grants, to such fine organizations."

John Trevino, president and general manager of Telemundo 39, said, "Innovation is the driving force for success and these organizations have demonstrated, without a doubt, that they are truly committed to enhancing our local community. We are very proud to support their endeavors and to invest in the future of our North Texas Communities."

Junior Achievement of Dallas (JA) was awarded a $50,000 grant for their JA High School Heroes program, which provides high school students passionate about making a difference the opportunity to teach the JA curriculum to elementary school students in kindergarten through fourth grade.

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas was awarded a $25,000 grant to fund the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Center for Excellence at Camp Whispering Cedars, a 60-acre Dallas camp where girls can explore the sciences hands-on in the living laboratory of the outdoors.

REACH (Rehabilitation, Education, and Advocacy for Citizens with Handicaps) was awarded a $25,000 grant to fund the Living Academies for Youth with Disabilities whose purpose is to offer students with disabilities the opportunity to acquire and improve life skills.  Academies are held in area high schools where the curriculum is first developed in collaboration with students with disabilities.

In addition to the $100,000 awarded in Dallas/Fort Worth, the NBCUniversal Foundation announced grants across the country totaling $1.2 million.  Launched in June, the 21st Century Solutions program aims to help communities identify opportunities for positive change and support non-profits that are putting new ideas into action.  

About NBC 5 / KXAS-TV

NBC 5 / KXAS-TV is the NBC-owned television station serving the communities of North Texas with quality news and entertainment programming on NBC 5, NBC 5 Nonstop (soon to be Cozi TV) and online at NBCDFW.com.

About Telemundo 39

Telemundo 39 / KXTX-TV is the NBC-owned television station serving the Spanish-language communities of the Dallas-Fort Worth area offering high-quality content including news, original productions and first class sports programming on Telemundo 39 and at telemundodallas.com.

About NBCUniversal

NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.  NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company and a leading television stations group.

SOURCE NBC 5 / KXAS-TV