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MICROSOFT AWARDS MORE THAN $130,000 TO CHICAGO CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

Christa Shalhoub Airfoil Public Relations 248.304.1435 shalhoub@airfoilpr.com

Natalie Kreiger Chicago Children's Museum 312.464.7727

Local museum benefits from large software grant and celebrates Arts Day 2006

CHICAGO — July 27, 2006 —In an effort to promote art education, Microsoft is donating more than $130,000 in software to the Chicago Children’s Museum (CCM). This donation will be used to upgrade and enhance the museum’s internal software systems, providing the most up-to-date equipment and resources for the staff. The grant will also allow the staff to communicate more effectively, saving time and resources throughout the entire museum.

CCM is also celebrating Arts Day 2006:  Play with your art! on August 2.  Children and families will be given an opportunity to work with professional artist to express themselves through art and collaboratively develop pieces for display throughout the museum.

“We are proud to offer Chicago’s youth an opportunity to create their own art, allowing them a chance to express themselves in new and creative ways,” said Peter England, president and CEO, Chicago Children’s Museum.  “We’re also very excited to receive this generous gift from Microsoft to the museum. Every day we work to provide children with innovative ways to learn, and this grant will supply our staff with the tools and resources required to continue our mission.”

With 15 permanent exhibits and programming space available, Chicago Children’s Museum creates an environment where playing and learning connect, providing children the opportunity to learn in fun and interactive ways. The museum serves more than 700,000 visitors annually, primarily children up through the fifth grade and their families, along with schools and community groups. CCM’s newest interactive exhibit My Museum, allows children the opportunity to express themselves and to explore diverse perspectives through hands-on activities using a variety of creative materials and techniques.

“Chicago Children’s Museum provides our children with interactive experiences filled with fun and learning and for that, Microsoft applauds them,” said Adam Hecktman, director of Microsoft’s Chicago Technology Center. “Discovering new and innovative ways to educate our children is crucial to their development and excites them about learning.  Microsoft has long believed that inside each and every person there is great potential, which is why we have provided more than $26 million in cash and software to community organizations throughout Chicago since 2000.”

"Chicago Children's Museum is a unique and extraordinary institution,” said Congressman Danny K. Davis.  “Anyone who has ever visited the museum must have shared the same delight and enthusiasm as the thousands of children who flock to Navy Pier every day to explore, to learn, to socialize and, most of all, to have fun all the while.  Knowing the dedicated and innovative staff who make this miraculous museum function every day, I am certain that Microsoft's generous gift will be put to good use."

About Chicago Children’s Museum
Chicago Children’s Museum is a non-profit organization committed to creating a community where play and learning connect.  CCM teaches children through hands-on, interactive exhibits and programs.  With over fifteen interactive exhibits such as, The Allstate Foundation presents Play It Safe and new activities daily, every visit is unique for parents, caregivers, educators and children from toddlers-to 10 years.

About Microsoft
Microsoft and its employees have long recognized the importance of being engaged in supporting communities around the world.   Last year the company donated $61 million in cash and $273 million in software to 8,000 nonprofit organizations.  While a majority of the company’s community investments are made in support of Unlimited Potential, a global program that supports community technology centers in IT skills training, the company also makes software available to improve the use of technology by nonprofit organizations.  Microsoft products are available to qualified organizations at www.techsoup.org.

More information on Microsoft’s community investments can be found at www.microsoft.com/unlimitedpotential/.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

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