Accenture Supports Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian

Global Consulting Company Also Offers Scholarship Program for American Indians

WASHINGTON, D.C.; September 21, 2004 – As part of its global corporate citizenship program, Accenture will act as a management consulting and information technology services advisor to the new Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). In addition, Accenture has made a financial contribution to the museum.

NMAI will open on September 21, 2004 on the last available museum space on the National Mall, between the National Air and Space Museum and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. NMAI is the first national museum dedicated to the preservation, study and exhibition of the life, languages, literature, history and arts of Native Americans, and the first national museum to present all exhibitions from a Native viewpoint.

Approximately 7,000 objects from the museum’s permanent collection will be on view when the museum opens to the public. Three major exhibitions will be complemented by a contemporary art exhibit and landmark works of art -- historic and contemporary -- placed throughout the building. NMAI projects the museum will have up to four million visitors annually.

"Accenture is pleased to be a sponsor of this important cultural landmark," said Kedrick Adkins, Accenture’s Global Chief Diversity Officer and U.S. Managing Director. "The museum fills an important void in our history and as a company committed to diversity we’re proud to be associated with such a strong symbol of U.S. history and contemporary society."

In addition to Accenture’s financial contribution and its role as a management consulting and information technology services advisor to the museum, the company is also offering a scholarship program for American Indian students. The program is comprised of the following programs:

  1. Accenture Scholars – three undergraduate scholarships of $20,000 each for students pursuing a four-year program
  2. Accenture Fellows – three graduate scholarships of $10,000 each for students pursuing a two-year program with an emphasis on business or technical degrees
  3. Finalist Scholarships – two undergraduate scholarships of $2,000 per year for four years and one graduate scholarship of $1,000 per year for two years

About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture collaborates with its clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. With deep industry and business process expertise, broad global resources and a proven track record, Accenture can mobilize the right people, skills, and technologies to help clients improve their performance. With approximately 100,000 people in 48 countries, the company generated net revenues of US$11.8 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2003. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

About National Museum of the American Indian
Established in 1989, through an Act of Congress, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian is an institution of living cultures dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history and arts of the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere. The museum includes the new National Museum of the American Indian opening on the National Mall; the George Gustav Heye Center, a permanent museum in lower Manhattan; and the Cultural Resources Center, a research and collections facility in Suitland, Md. .

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Laura Ryan

+1 (212) 614 4951

laura.ryan@accenture.com