News Releases

Northrop Grumman Hosts Parents Reception for Albemarle County Mentoring and Scholarship Program

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Dec. 12, 2007 - Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Sperry Marine business unit hosted a reception Tuesday evening honoring the parents of students participating in Albemarle County's inaugural WORTHY (Worthwhile To Help High School Youth) mentoring and scholarship program.

Designed to encourage and advance program participants' pursuit of technical degrees, the WORTHY program provides on-the-job experience and improved access to secondary education.

This year's participants include Udit Chavda of Western Albemarle High School as well as Amanda Walker and Dakota Thomsen-Diggs, both of Monticello High School.

Before an audience that included students, their families, mentors, Charlottesville City School Superintendent Rosa Atkins and Albemarle County School Superintendent Pam Moran, John DeMaso, vice president of Northrop Grumman's Naval and Marine Systems Division, explained the value of hands-on learning. "We believe that learning by doing inspires and motivates students to strive for higher levels of achievement. It is both our pleasure and responsibility as a major employer within this community to facilitate that process. We are so pleased to have the help of the University of Virginia's School of Engineering in this endeavor."

"We decided to hold this reception because it afforded participants' parents the opportunity to tour the Sperry Marine plant and meet the mentors who will be working with their children," said DeMaso. "But, just as important, it allowed us the opportunity to commend these parents for the crucial role they've played in raising such great kids."

"These young people are the first to pursue our pilot WORTHY program -- that demonstrates a strong desire to learn as well as personal initiative, ambition, and no doubt the encouragement of wonderful parents," said Jeff Holloway, director of U.S. defense business development and marketing/sales for Sperry Marine and executive sponsor of the WORTHY program. "These are top-notch students, and we greatly admire each of them for getting involved and taking positive steps toward improving their educational opportunities."

Twelve Sperry Marine employees specializing in program management, information technology, and various engineering disciplines have volunteered to serve as mentors. This year, the students, with the help of their mentors, will be working as a team to develop a system designed to pilot a remote-controlled helicopter using PC-based software. The project requires the students to re-engineer the helicopter's electronics to interface with the computer, integrate hardware sensors and develop software to control the helicopter's flight.

Initially launched in 1997 by Northrop Grumman in Baltimore, WORTHY is now being expanded to include additional campuses. Sperry Marine organizers aim to recruit between five and seven new students each year. In order to be eligible for the program, rising high school sophomores and juniors must be residents of and attend a public high school within the Albemarle County or Charlottesville City limits, maintain a 3.0+ grade point average (GPA) during the course of the program, and have earned a 3.0+ GPA for at least two consecutive semesters prior to applying. Participants are also required to submit a three-part essay, provide a letter of recommendation from a school counselor or community leader and be eligible to obtain a U.S. Department of Defense security clearance. Mentors must also apply and pass a background check.

Sperry Marine, headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., and with major engineering and support offices in New Malden, United Kingdom and Hamburg, Germany, provides smart navigation and ship control solutions for the international marine industry with customer service and support through offices in 16 countries, sales representatives in 47 countries and authorized service depots in more than 250 locations worldwide.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $30 billion global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.

CONTACT:  Jim Rhodes
          +1 (757) 451-0602
          jrhodes@rhodescomm.com

          Tom Delaney
          +1 (410) 993-6454
          thomas.delaney@ngc.com