GenAmerica Financials Foundation Donates $25,000 to Viewpoint Project

Creative Collaboration to Encourage Self-Expression and Intellectual Curiosity Involves Washington University, Long Middle School and Young Audiences of St. Louis

St. Louis, MO -- Discovering the rewards of creative self-expression in an urban living environment is a voyage that students at Long Middle School in south St. Louis are now beginning through Viewpoint, an innovative collaboration involving Washington Universitys School of Art and Young Audiences of St. Louis, thanks to a $25,000 grant from the GenAmerica Financial Foundation.

More than 70 sixth, seventh and eighth grade students at Long Middle School are being given cameras and the freedom to use them in a unique enrichment program designed to promote educational achievement through artistic expression and creative teaching.

GenAmericas Foundation has donated $25,000 to support the Viewpoint initiative, which was created by Richard Krueger, assistant professor of photography at Washington Universitys School of Art, and which is being facilitated by Young Audiences of St. Louis, a not-for-profit enterprise that helps schools integrate the arts into curricula.

Kevin C. Eichner, president and CEO, GenAmerica Financial Corp., observes, The Viewpoint Project is an inspiring example of how creative organizations can work together to incorporate the arts into schools to enrich the learning environment and encourage self expression.

By leading the way with a $25,000 cash donation, GenAmerica hopes more business organizations and foundations will support productive, creative collaborations and educational partnerships," Eichner says.

Richard Krueger adds, Viewpoints mission is to enhance the learning experience at Long Middle School and Washington University, and to positively impact the students involved, their families and the St. Louis community at-large."

Beginning in April 2002, Viewpoint will culminate with original photographs produced by Long Middle School students showcased on billboards, bus signs and Metrolink stations throughout St. Louis, plus a month-long exhibition at City Museum in downtown St. Louis. Washington University student photos also will be exhibited.

Junior-level photography students at Washington Universitys School of Art, along with Krueger and Young Audiences staff, are meeting weekly with Long teachers and students to discuss the power of self-expression through photography, as well as the important role photography has played in documenting American history, such as the Civil War, the Depression and Civil Rights Movement. Throughout this four-month project, Long Middle School students will be given specially loaded black and white disposable cameras to take their first pictures and document their daily lives and neighborhood.

Starting February 11, students at Long will also discover the unique relationship between photography and science, history and language arts through classroom lessons. The study of optics and creative English composition, including assignments to compose essays and poems about life in St. Louis, are part of the Viewpoint project, which includes lectures at Washington University, darkroom instruction and a field trip to see students photo images enlarged to billboard size.

Kathleen Brittain Luther, executive director of Young Audiences of St. Louis, says, Viewpoint demonstrates the uniquely positive value of educational collaborations that encourage intellectual curiosity and creativity. We are thrilled to be working with the extraordinary talent of these Washington Universitys School of Art students and Long Middle School, where the student population is quite diverse and the staff is so committed. Everyone involved is extremely grateful for the vision and generosity of the GenAmerica Foundation."

GenAmerica Financial Corp. is a leader in the development and distribution of financial services through independent advisory, brokerage and producer group channels. It is the parent company for General American Life Insurance Company; and Walnut Street Securities, Inc., member NASD and SIPC; among other subsidiaries and divisions. GenAmerica Financial is based in St. Louis, Mo., and is an affiliate of MetLife, Inc. For more information about GenAmerica Financial, visit www.genamerica.com.

MetLife, a subsidiary of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), is a leading provider of insurance and other financial services to individual and institutional customers. The MetLife companies serve approximately nine million individual households in the U.S. and companies and institutions with 33 million employees and members. MetLife also has international insurance operations in 14 countries. For more information about MetLife, please visit the company's Web site at www.metlife.com.