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MasterCard Worldwide Teams With Weber Shandwick Worldwide To Win ‘Silver Anvil,' Top Communications Award

St. Louis-Based ‘MasterCard Project Math' Gains National Recognition for Innovation and Creativity

O'FALLON, Mo. (June 11, 2008) - MasterCard Worldwide Global Technology & Operations, with headquarters in O'Fallon, and the St. Louis office of Weber Shandwick Worldwide are recipients of the prestigious Silver Anvil Award, sponsored by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Their MasterCard Project Math efforts garnered the 2008 Silver Anvil Award in the Community Relations--Business Services category. 

As the keystone of MasterCard's St. Louis corporate giving program, Project Math supports efforts to help advance math achievement of the region's children by increasing support for math teachers. The initiative includes underwriting innovative solutions in five areas: engaging national and international mathematics expertise, deepening involvement with local school districts, developing regional educational partnerships, sharing intellectual resources and providing technology donations.

For Project Math, Weber Shandwick helped MasterCard align its local support for education with its business, in which careers depend on advanced technology and financial skills.  Through grants that increase resources for math educators, they may help students increase their math achievement and future employability.

The 2008 Silver Anvil, which recognizes outstanding achievement in strategic public relations planning and implementation, was presented June 5 in New York City.

"The Silver Anvil for Project Math is a true team award, reflecting the dedication of MasterCard and MasterCard employees to meaningful, quality philanthropic efforts, in this case, needed assistance in efforts directed at improving math achievement of students in the St. Louis region," said Nancy Hadler Tully, vice president - senior business leader, Public Relations at MasterCard. "MasterCard's Project Math is off to a strong start, with the collaboration of other businesses, universities, civic organizations and school districts, and we look forward to continuing our outreach in the St. Louis region."

A few highlights of Project Math include the following results: 

• - As part of the GEAR UP- ST. LOUIS program to increase the college attendance rate of low-income students, a MasterCard grant to University of Missouri - St. Louis underwrote intensive math professional development for more than 50 middle school teachers in 33 schools, impacting nearly 6,000 students in 2007.
• - Teach For America, which places qualified, top recent college graduates in the neediest schools, significantly increased its number of math and science teachers in the St. Louis area, thanks to a MasterCard grant to support recruitment, training and ongoing professional development.
• - MasterCard helped fund Wentzville School District's innovative after-school math pilot program using a curriculum called Singapore Math in the 2007-2008 school year, and is underwriting training for 100 District teachers of grades 1 through 5 this summer. Based upon significant success, the District School Board has approved the use of the Singapore Math program in elementary classrooms this fall.
• - A grant from MasterCard provided 18 schools with Junior Achievement (JA) curriculum focused on financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship skills. In addition, 2008 is the fifth consecutive year for the MasterCard "JA in a Day" project, in which 300 MasterCard volunteers spent a day in May teaching JA curriculum in 137 classrooms, reaching 3,300 students in grades K-8.
• - The 2007 MasterCard Math Education Summit convened local educators and business and community leaders for dialogue on international perspectives and best practices in math education.

"The finalists in this year's Silver Anvil Awards represent some of the most strategic, creative and finest public relations campaigns in our industry," said Joice Truban Curry, 2008 PRSA Silver Anvil Committee chair and President/CEO, c3 Communications, Inc. "The Silver Anvils are the Oscars of the public relations profession and these finalists exemplify the best practices in the country."

The Silver Anvil Awards program has grown in scope and stature since its inception in 1946, and awards are now given in 59 categories and subcategories. To date, more than 1,200 organizations have received Silver Anvils for excellence in strategic public relations planning and implementation.

About MasterCard Worldwide

MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 18 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to http://www.mastercard.com/.

About Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick is one of the world's leading global public relations firms with offices in major media, business and government capitals around the world. The firm specializes in strategic marketing communications, media relations, public affairs, reputation management, and crisis and issues management. It also offers corporate communications counseling services. The firm provides specialized integrated services including Web relations, advocacy advertising, market research and visual communications. Weber Shandwick received the highest client-satisfaction honors in the 2007 Agency Excellence Survey by PRWeek U.S. and in 2006, was named Large PR Firm of the Year (PR News U.S.), European Consultancy of the Year (The Holmes Report) and Network of the Year (Asia Pacific PR Awards). The firm also won the 2005, 2006 and 2007 United Nations Grand Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Relations. To learn more, please visit http://www.webershandwick.com/.

About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

The Public Relations Society of America, headquartered in New York City, is the world's largest organization for public relations professionals with nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA is organized into 109 Chapters and 10 Districts nationwide, and 19 Professional Interest Sections and Affinity Groups, which represent business and industry, counseling firms, independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has 296 Chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States, and one Chapter in Argentina.

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