NEW YORK, June 5 -- The NBA will dedicate newly completed Reading and Learning Centers at The Carver Academy in San Antonio on Thursday and at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County in Jersey City on Tuesday, June 10.

NBA TV coverage: 56k | 300k  Spurs chairman Peter Holt, San Antonio center David Robinson and NBA Commissioner David Stern were at the dedication of the Reading and Learning Center at The Carver Academy. Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images

Created through the NBA’s Read to Achieve Program, the NBA has teamed with the San Antonio Spurs, New Jersey Nets, Dell, Reading Is Fundamental, Inc.® (RIF) and Scholastic Inc., to create the Spurs Reading and Learning Center in San Antonio and the Nets Reading and Learning Center in Jersey City.

Each Reading and Learning Center provides thousands of donated books, resource guides and materials to the hundreds of children attending the facilities each day. In addition, the Reading and Learning Centers include a donation of desktop computers, printers, servers and educational software from Dell, as part of their Dell Education initiative.

The Reading and Learning Centers will also include learning materials, including LeapPad and Quantum Pad platforms, as well as multimedia equipment, photos and educational posters provided by the NBA. In San Antonio, in special recognition of David Robinson’s efforts with The Carver Academy, the Spurs will formally dedicate the Spurs Library at The Carver Academy.

"The NBA is proud to partner with the Nets and Spurs and with two outstanding community organizations, Boys and Girls Clubs of Hudson County and The Carver Academy to dedicate these Reading & Learning Centers," said NBA Commissioner David Stern. "Children in Jersey City and in San Antonio will benefit from these centers as they will enjoy greater access to books and technology, two essential tools for achieving success in life."

The Nets and Spurs Reading and Learning Centers are the latest created by the NBA’s Read to Achieve program. In an effort to provide access to reading materials and technology to young people and as a part of its national reading program “Read to Achieve,” the NBA and its teams are creating Reading and Learning centers across North America. To date, the NBA and its teams have created more than 60 Reading and Learning Centers and 70 Reading Corners to enhance local reading programs around the country.

In San Antonio, NBA Commissioner David Stern, Governor of Texas Rick Perry, San Antonio Spurs Sports and Entertainment Chairman Peter M. Holt, Basketball Hall of Famer and Special Assistant to the NBA Commissioner Bob Lanier, San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson, and Vice President of Enterprise Sales for Dell’s Public Division Jim Anderson will participate in the press conference to commemorate the Spurs Reading and Learning Center.

In New Jersey, NBA Commissioner David Stern, Governor of New Jersey Jim McGreevey, New Jersey Nets President/GM Rod Thorn, Basketball Hall of Famer and Special Assistant to the NBA Commissioner Bob Lanier, and and Vice President of Enterprise Sales for Dell’s Public Division Jim Anderson will participate in the press conference to commemorate the Nets Reading and Learning Center.

“The New Jersey Nets are very pleased to take part in this particular 'Read to Achieve' initiative," said Nets President & General Manager Rod Thorn. "The Nets organization has been at the forefront of the league-wide community involvement programs, and it is with great satisfaction that we are once again in the position to participate in this venture at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hudson County."

"Community outreach is an integral part of the Spurs mission in the San Antonio area," said Spurs Sports and Entertainment Chairman Peter M. Holt. "David (Robinson) has been instrumental in shaping the lives of hundreds of children through The Carver Academy and we are proud to join the NBA in opening a reading and learning center at Carver in his honor."

Dell’s contribution to the renovation builds on the company’s commitment to education. Dell shares its technology expertise and resources to improve the education of youth and their odds of succeeding in a digital world through programs such as TechKnow, an after-school program that uses technology training and the promise of a student-built computer to keep "at risk" middle school students in school and focused on their grades.

“Projects such as these Reading and Learning Centers help children develop more than just technology and reading skills,” said Jim Anderson, vice president of enterprise sales for Dell’s Public division. “They help build their confidence, and that’s a critical part of every child’s success.”

Thousands of books and literacy materials were donated by the New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, RIF, and Scholastic, Inc. for the Nets and Spurs Reading and Learning Centers.

“Scholastic is pleased to support the NBA’s Read to Achieve program, and to help New Jersey and San Antonio area children become readers and learners through these exciting new resource centers,” said Ernie Fleishman, Senior Vice President, Scholastic Education. “It is our hope that our significant contribution, a full complement of educational resources including books, software, educational programs and other support materials will benefit both communities for years to come.”

“As a dedicated partner of the NBA’s Read to Achieve program, Reading Is Fundamental is delighted to participate at the openings of these brand new Reading and Learning Centers,” said Carol H. Rasco, President and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental. “They will provide vital literacy resources to children and communities that need them most.”

The NBA's Read to Achieve program is a year-round effort designed to help young people develop a life-long love for reading and encourage adults to read regularly with children. Reaching an estimated 50 million children a year, Read to Achieve is the most extensive educational outreach initiative in the history of professional sports. To date more than 500,000 books and two million custom literacy magazines have been distributed to schools, libraries and community-based organizations across the country. In addition to being supported by all 29 NBA teams, 14 WNBA teams, the eight teams that make up the NBA's minor league, the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), Read to Achieve is supported by the NBA's officials, parents and wives of players organizations, and the NBA Players Association and Retired Players Association.

As part of the Read To Achieve program, NBA teams have created more than 60 Reading and Learning Centers and 70 Reading Corners to enhance local reading programs around the country. The schools, libraries and community-based organizations that house Reading and Learning Centers and Corners have been provided with generous donations of books and educational materials and, in many cases, technology labs have been built, creating an all-around resource that enables these organizations to build and strengthen their programs that focus on on-line and off-line literacy skills among tens of thousands of young people.

NBA Finals 2003 highlights the league's strong and lasting commitment to creating programs that improve the quality of life for all people and has created and implemented programs that address important social issues, with a special emphasis on reading and on-line literacy initiatives for children. Each year the league, its players and its teams donate millions of dollars and thousands of hours to charities and community outreach programs.

About Dell
Dell Computer Corporation (Nasdaq: DELL) is a premier provider of products and services required for customers worldwide to build their information-technology and Internet infrastructures. Company revenue for the past four quarters totaled $36.9 billion. Dell, through its direct business model, designs, manufactures and customizes products and services to customer requirements, and offers an extensive selection of software and peripherals. Information on Dell and its products can be obtained at www.dell.com.

About RIF
Founded in 1966, Reading Is Fundamental is the oldest and largest nonprofit children’s and family literacy organization in the nation. RIF operates through 435,000 volunteers at 23,000 sites nationwide. RIF programs annually serve 5 million children of all ages, most of whom are at risk of educational failure, with a focus on those from birth to age 11. Visit RIF’s website to learn more, www.rif.org.

About Scholastic Inc.
Scholastic Corporation (NMS: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, textbooks, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries, and television networks; and the Company's Internet Site, www.scholastic.com.