ORLANDO , FL, 13-NOV-01 -- Employees from Lockheed Martin's Central Florida locations will be participating in Teach-In 2001 at schools across Central Florida tomorrow as part of National Education Week activities. Lockheed Martin employees will visit Winegard Elementary in West Orange County from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. tomorrow to talk to students about how reading has affected their lives and careers. Individual employees will visit schools across Central Florida to take part in the Teach-In.

National Education Week is only one example of many days throughout the school year that area-wide Lockheed Martin employees volunteer their time and efforts in Central Florida schools.

Lockheed Martin employees also participate in the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools' Read2Succeed program. Under this program, sixteen volunteers read to second-graders at Lawton Chiles Elementary School in East Orange County, while 12 counterparts do the same at Winegard Elementary School. An additional 20 volunteers will participate in the program next semester.

Seeing how happy my student is when we finish a book makes me excited for him as well, said Linda Nguyen, a Lockheed Martin associate procurement specialist. I'm helping him learn to read, but he's helping me to see how important it is to take an hour out of my week to make a difference.

Lockheed Martin Corporation has sponsored a mentoring program at Robinswood Middle School in Orange County for the past seven years. This semester, 21 employees spend up to three hours each week mentoring eighth-grade students. Representatives of the high technology company have also set-up a pre-college curriculum for the students that include several college visits and a career week.

Teachers throughout Central Florida have been the beneficiaries of post-graduate coursework at the University of Central Florida's College of Education that is supported by the Lockheed Martin Academy of Math and Science. The corporation funded this endowed program in the 1990's to support teaching in these disciplines.

Our corporation's primary philanthropic focus is K-through-12 education, said Steve Otsuki, Lockheed Martin's vice president for information technology and identification solutions. When we make our local schools stronger, we make the quality of life for all our employees better. Good schools provide a stronger workforce, lower crime and increase the tax base.

Otsuki currently is a member of the board of directors for the Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools. Additionally, Carlton Caldwell, communications director, serves on the board of directors for the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools. In the past three years, Lockheed Martin has worked in combination with the two area school foundations to sponsor a Run for Education each spring. Proceeds benefit the public schools in Orange and Seminole counties. Costs associated with the fundraiser are provided by the company, with all registration fees and sponsorship funds split by the local counties.

Lockheed Martin employs approximately 6,500 employees at three facilities in Central Florida. Lockheed Martin Information Systems is the prime contractor for all Navy and Marine Corps aircraft training. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is a world leader in electro-optics, smart munitions, advanced combat, missile, rocket and space systems. Lockheed Martin Enterprise Information Systems provides information technology services and solutions to the Corporation's businesses.