Nissan Awards Education Grants to Local Schools in Mississippi

CANTON, Miss. - Nissan North America, in conjunction with BankPlus, recently awarded educational grants totaling more than $77,000 to local schools in Mississippi. More than 100 teachers and administrators from Madison County and Canton public school districts were recognized at a special awards reception held Aug. 27 at the Nissan vehicle assembly plant in Canton, Miss. The program, administered by the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson, distributed 68 grants supporting classroom projects that will be conducted during the 2012-2013 school year in the two districts.

"This critical funding will support teachers and administrators who have designed dynamic projects to enhance the overall learning experience in their classrooms," said Dan Bednarzyk, vice president of manufacturing, Canton. "Certainly, the most important investment we can make is in the education of our young people. These students represent the hope and future of our community and our country, and we, at Nissan, are excited to be able to play a small role in equipping them with the tools they need to be successful in life."

Nissan and BankPlus joined the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson in 2007 to create an annual education grant program supporting grades K-12 in Madison County and Canton public school districts of central Mississippi. Any teacher, counselor, librarian, principal, or other school personnel who works directly with students can apply for a grant.

Grant awards range from $500 to $1,500 and support innovative teaching and learning in conjunction with state-mandated curricula. Over the past six years, Nissan has distributed more than $350,000 in grants to Canton and Madison County schools.

About BankPlus
BankPlus, with total assets of more than $2 billion, has over 60 banking offices in 33 Mississippi communities. In addition to its Belzoni Main Office, other BankPlus offices are located in Bentonia, Brandon, Byram, Canton, Clinton, D'Iberville, Durant, Flora, Flowood, Gluckstadt, Hernando, Holly Bluff, Horn Lake, Isola, Jackson, Lexington, Madison, Meridian, Newton, Olive Branch, Pearl, Picayune, Pickens, Poplarville, Quitman, Ridgeland, Shubuta, Southaven, Stonewall, Tchula, Waynesboro and Yazoo City. For additional information on BankPlus, please visit www.BankPlus.net.

About Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant
Nissan's Canton vehicle assembly plant employs approximately 4,350 employees and covers 4.2 million square feet. The models produced at the plant include the Nissan Altima, Titan, Armada, and NV passenger and utility vans. In the fall of 2012, production of the Nissan Frontier, Xterra and Sentra will begin in Canton.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, and 2012 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com.

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Contact Information:

Justin P. Saia
Nissan North America, Inc.
Corporate Communications
615-725-3061
Justin.Saia@nissan-usa.com