For immediate release                                                                                                                                                      Contact: Karen Ahearn

September 29, 2004                                                                                                                                                     Communications Manager

                                                                                                                                                                                                    412-481-7320

                                                                                                                                                                                        kahearn@assetinc.org

ASSET Education Leadership Council launched

to further education reform efforts

PITTSBURGH — (September 29, 2004) — ASSET (Achieving Student Success through Excellence in Teaching) Inc. has established the ASSET Education Leadership Council to bolster the visibility of the nonprofit organization in achieving the mutual goal of bringing about true systemic education reform in western Pennsylvania and beyond.

The ASSET Education Leadership Council is a group of community, corporate, educational and government leaders in a position of influence who are committed to improving educational opportunities for all students. Initial members of the Council include: Robert Baldis , Assistant Executive Director, Pennsylvania State Education Association; Dr. Peter Benzing , retired Vice President, Bayer Corporation; Esther Bush , President & CEO, Urban League of Pittsburgh; Dr. Aris Candris , Senior Vice President, Westinghouse Electric Company; Linda Dickerson , Principal, 501(c)(3) 2 ; Stephen Hansen , President & CEO, Dollar Bank; David Iwinski , Chief Executive Officer, Acusis; Velma Jackson , esq.; Dr. Soheila Lunney , Vice President, Procurement, Education Management Corporation; Louis Malafarina , Founder & CEO, Ripple Effects Interactive; Thomas Murrin , Distinguished Service Professor, Duquesne University; Lee Noble , Chairman of the Board, Mobile Aspects; Dr. Barbara Shore , Professor of Social Work, Emeritus, University of Pittsburgh.

Achieving true systemic reform requires not only excellence of educational program, but a recognition of that excellence by many and diverse constituencies within and beyond the community, noted Harry Goern, president of the ASSET Board of Directors. “The ASSET Education Leadership Council will assist in elevating community and statewide awareness and support for ASSET to continuously improving teaching and learning at the classroom level,” Goern said.

For more information about the ASSET Education Leadership Council, please contact Dr. Reeny Davison , Executive Director, at 412-481-7320.

About ASSET Inc.

Established by Bayer Corporation and other community partners in 1994, ASSET currently provides K-8 standards-based science materials and teacher professional development programs that directly impact 3,000 teachers and 63,000 students in 44 school districts, charter and private schools. Students in more than 180 ASSET member schools across western Pennsylvania experience standards-based learning materials using an inquiry approach and are taught by teachers who receive professional development directly linked to the curriculum.

The largest program of its kind in the state, ASSET is the only one of 22 educational reform programs originally funded by the National Science Foundation that has achieved operational self-sustaining status. ASSET Inc. is an independent, nonprofit education reform initiative dedicated to continuously improve the abilities of teachers with initial efforts in K-8 science and technology education.