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PRESSRELEASE

ForImmediateRelease: Contact: ChristopherCashman,212-804-6370

November4,2011 ChrisLisi,202-549-0696

ElleniAlmandrez,202-492-6622

OpportunityNationReleasesGroundbreaking

IndexatNationalSummit;AccessingtheAmericanDream

NowOutofReachorImpossibleforManyAmericans

OpportunityIndexAssignsEveryStateandAlmostEveryCountyintheCountryan

OpportunityScoretoProvideaFirstofItsKindMeasureofOpportunityinAmerica

(New York) More than five hundred local leaders, activists, entertainers, and politicalluminariesgatheredtodayatColumbiaUniversityaspartoftheOpportunityNationSummit,a

national convening toofficially kick-off the OpportunityNation campaignand to serve as a

startingpointtodevelopasharedplantorestoreopportunitytomoreAmericans.

OpportunityNationabroad-based,cross-partisancoalitionofnearly200public,private,non-

profit,civilianandmilitaryorganizationsenvisionsanAmericawhereeverycitizenthatworks

hardcanachievetheirfullpotential. Thediversegroupoforganizationshavejoinedtogether

tocollectivelycreateandadvocateforanagendathatprovidesbetterskills,qualityjobsand

strongercommunitiestoallAmericans.

A centerpiece of the Summit focused on what opportunity in America looks like today,demonstrated by a groundbreaking new Opportunity Index, developed jointly by the

AmericanHumanDevelopmentProjectandOpportunityNation.

At atimewhenmanyAmericans areworriedabouthowtheyregoing topaynextmonths

bills,Washingtonisstuckinpoliticalgridlockanddoingnothingtorelievetheseveryrealfears,

saidKevinJennings,CEOofBetheChange,Inc.,theparentorganizationbehindOpportunity

Nation. ThisSummit andtheOpportunityNationcampaign isthestartofadialogue to

changeallofthat.Nextyearisgoingtobeatimewhenthenationtakesalong,hardlookat

itselfandaskswhatkindoffuturewewantforourcountry.OpportunityNationhasaplanfor

ensuringthateveryAmericanhasaccesstotheAmericanDreamnowandintothefuture,andweregoingtobeaskingeveryelectedofficialandcandidateforoffice, WhatsYourPlanfor

RestoringOpportunitytoAmericans?

Overthecomingmonths,OpportunityNationwillleveragethecollectivesupportfromitscross-

partisancoalitionandworktoengageelectedofficialsatalllevelsofgovernment,aswellasthe

candidatesrunningforpresidentialin2012.

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TheOpportunityIndex

WiththegroundbreakingOpportunityIndex,OpportunityNationhascreatedatoolfor

national,stateandlocalleadersaswellasengagedcommunitymemberstouseasaguide

formeasuringandimprovingopportunityforeveryoneintheirarea.TheIndexdatais

displayedinauser-friendlyandinteractivewebsite:www.opportunityindex.org.

Morethanadozendatapointswereusedtorankeverystateandassignalmosteverycountyin

AmericaafirstofitskindOpportunityScorerangingfromAforexcellenttoFforfailing.

ThedatawascompiledfromalmostadozendifferentsourcesincludingtheU.S.CensusBureau,

the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the Federal Communications Commission, the National

Center for Education Statistics, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,and the U.S.

Department of Justice. These data points were grouped into three sets of dimensions:

Economy,Education,andCommunityandtogetherwereusedtocalculateandassignanoverall

OpportunityScore.

OpportunityNationstarts fromthe belief that the zip codeyoure born into shouldnt pre-

determineyourdestiny,andthatwhensocialmobilitygrindstoahalt,weareingravedanger

oflosingthebestofAmerica,saidMarkEdwards,executivedirectorofOpportunityNation .

Fortoolongwehaveslicedanddicedtheinterconnectedissuesofeducation,jobs,families,

andcommunitiestheframeworkunderlyingtheideaofopportunity intonarrowsilosthat

aredisconnected,asifopportunitywasazero-sumidea.Thatapproachisnolongerworking

because these factors work in tandem to determine the potential success of our citizenry.

ThatswhattheOpportunityIndexprovidesanunprecedentedpictureofwhatopportunityin

Americalookslikeatthelocal,stateandnationallevels.

TheIndexrevealssomeinterestingnewfacts:

Income issurprisingly not the strongest indicator ofopportunity. Nevadahas higher

thanaveragemedianhouseholdincome,butrankslastinthenationinopportunitydue

tolowscoresineducation,communitydimensions.

The strongest indicator of an area with high-opportunity is youth academic andeconomicinclusion.Conversely,stateswithahigherpercentageofTeenagers(16-19)

NotinSchoolandNotWorkinghavelowopportunity.

Stateswithlowopportunityscorestendtohavehighermilitaryrecruitmentrates. Thefifteenhighestscoringstatesarefairlyevenlydistributedacrossthenation.Fiveare

fromtheNortheast,fivearefromtheMidwest,threeareintheSouthAtlanticregion,

andtwoareWesternstates. Ofthelowest-scoring15states,12arelocatedinAmericasSouth.Theremainingthree

areArizona,NewMexico,andNevada.

The Opportunity Index is designed to empower community leaders, engaged citizens, and

electedofficialsatalllevelstotakeaseriouslookattheopportunitytheyareprovidingtothose

livingintheirareas.TheIndexwillbeissuedannually,givingleadersawaytotrackprogress

andmeasuretheeffectivenessoftheirefforts.

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TheSummit

TheSummitwhichwasco-convenedbyAARP,AARPFoundation,FordFoundation,TIME,and

UnitedWayWorldwideattractedseveralhigh-profileleadersandadvocates,eachofwhom

offered theirperspectives on the opportunitybarriers currently facingmany Americans and

addingtheirsupportfortheOpportunityNationcampaign,including:

TheHonorableMichaelBloomberg,NewYorkCityMayor TheHonorableMichaelBennet,UnitedStatesSenator,Colorado TheHonorableDevalPatrick,Governor,TheCommonwealthofMassachusetts RickStengel,ManagingEditor,TIME FareedZakaria,Editor-At-Large,TIMEandHostofCNNsGPSwithFareedZakaria SuzeOrman,PersonalFinanceExpert Dr.RickWarren,spiritualleaderandauthor AriannaHuffington,PresidentandEditor-in-Chief,AOLHuffingtonPostMediaGroup BudBucha,MedalofHonorRecipient

SerenaWilliams,U.S.tennischampion RussellSimmons,CEO,RushCommunicationsandmusicmagnate LuisUbinas,President,TheFordFoundation JoAnnJenkins,President,AARPFoundation RodneySlater,BoardofDirectors,UnitedWay

ThroughouttheSummit,participantsandcoalitionmemberswereaskedtomakeopportunity

commitments, pledges of how their organization could take specific steps to break down

barrierstoindividualsuccessandbuildmorefruitfulpathwaysforindividualachievement.

A complete Summit agenda, full list of speakers, and commitments made by Summit

participantscanbefoundatwww.opportunitynation.org/summit

StatementsofSupportfromSummitCo-Conveners

TIMEisdelightedtobeaco-convenerofOpportunityNationandtohelpfurtheramplifythis

crucialnationalissuetoourmillionsofreaderswithourcoverstorythisweek,CanYouStill

MoveUpinAmerica?,focusingonthenexusbetweensocialmobilityandincomeequality.

- RickStengel,ManagingEditor,TIME

OlderAmericansarehurtinginthiseconomy.Theyremainoutofworklonger,struggletoput

healthyfoodontheirtablesandmaketheheartbreakingchoicesbetweenhealthcareandmortgagepayments.TheOpportunityNationSummitdirectlyalignswithAARPFoundation's

visionofacountryfreeofpoverty,wherenoolderpersonfeelsvulnerable.We'reproudto

supportthiseffortasleadersfromaroundthecountryworktoputopportunitybackonthe

agenda."

- JoAnnJenkins,President,AARPFoundation

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ToomanyofourfellowcitizensbelievethatAmericaisnolongeranopportunitynation.That

iswhytodaysevent,bringingdisparateviewstogetherunderonerooftotalkaboutAmericas

futureissovital,saidLuisUbias,presidentoftheFordFoundation.WewillnotbeAmericaif

wedontmakethiscommitmenttoopportunitycentralandrealforeveryoneofourfellow

citizens.WehopethattodayseventandtheworkofOpportunityNationwillsetusonthe

pathtowardmakingthatvisionareality.

- LuisUbinas,President,TheFordFoundation

WeknowthehardshipsAmericansarefacingandweallshareaspirationsforabetterlifefor

all.Asanon-partisaneffort,theOpportunityNationcoalitioniswell-positionedtodevelop

effectivesolutionsbecauseitencouragespeopletoputasidespecialinterestsandopposing

ideologiesandcometogethertofocusonthecountrysmostpressingneeds.Thisalignswell

withUnitedWayseffortstoengageandactivatepeopletomakeadifferenceincausesthat

mattertothem.

- StaceyD.Stewart,ExecutiveVicePresidentofCommunityImpactLeadershipandLearning,UnitedWayWorldwide

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OpportunityNationisacampaigntopromoteopportunity,socialmobility,andaccesstothe

AmericanDream.Thecampaignhasbuiltabroadcoalitionofnearly200businesses,non-

profits,corporatepartners,faith-basedorganizations,educationalinstitutions,andmilitary

groupstohelpcreateandadvocateforashared,cross-partisanplanthatwillprovidebetter

skills,morequalityjobs,andhealthiercommunitiestoallAmericans.Formoreinformation

pleasevisitwww.OpportunityNation.org andcheckusoutonTwitter@oppnationandon

FacebookatOpportunityNation.