Ideablob and Teach For America Join Forces

Ideablob.com and Teach For America Team Up to Support Education-Focused Business Ventures

SPRING HOUSE, Penn., July 22, 2008 — Advanta Corp. (NASDAQ: ADVNB; ADVNA) and Teach For America announced today that they plan to work together to explore ways to help Teach for America members and alumni build and develop their education-focused business ideas through Advanta’s online small business community, ideablob.com, and Teach For America’s Social Entrepreneurship Initiative. 

The two organizations will announce their planned initiative at a special event held in Atlanta, Ga., on Friday, July 25. At this event, Teach For America alum and Atlanta resident Jessica Hammock will be presented with a $10,000 prize for being ideablob.com’s June winner for the best small business idea, as voted on by the ideablob community.

Hammock’s company, Project Epiphany, develops curriculums that offer urban elementary and middle school students the chance to learn the principles of astronomy while using real telescopes in remote locations, where deep-space viewing is possible.

In June, each of the eight ideablob finalists were women, three of which were Teach For America alumnae.

Teach For America’s mission is to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting future leaders to teach in underprivileged areas. Through the combined efforts of Teach For America corps members, alumni and members of the community, Teach For America works to achieve its vision that one day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.

The winner’s event will take place on Friday, July 25 from 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. at the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta. A planetarium show will take place from 8:00 – 8:45pm, followed by the formal ceremony.

Ideablob.com is an active community where small business owners and entrepreneurs are sharing business ideas and receiving feedback, advice and support from the community. Experts from various industries take part in the ideablob discussions and offer their input on how burgeoning entrepreneurs can capitalize on their ideas.

Advanta, one of the nation’s largest credit card issuers (through Advanta Bank Corp.) in the small business market, awards a $10,000 monthly prize to the best eligible idea, as determined by the votes of the ideablob community. In recent months, Advanta has awarded the monthly prize to software developers, non-profit leaders and several social entrepreneurs.

There is no purchase necessary to enter the ideablob.com^® Contest. Contest began on 9/24/07 at 12:00:00 am CT and ends on 9/30/08 at 11:59:59 pm CT. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and D.C. who are of the legal age of majority in their state of residence at the time of entry. Void where prohibited. Official Rules are available online at www.ideablob.com. Sponsored by Advanta Bank Corp., PO Box 30715, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0715. Ideablob and ideablob.com are registered service marks owned by Advanta Bank Corp.

About Advanta
Advanta is one of the nation’s largest credit card issuers (through Advanta Bank Corp.) in the small business market today. Advanta’s exclusive focus on this market, as well as its size, experience, and commitment to developing meaningful product offerings and a high level of service tailored to the needs of small businesses, differentiates the company from other issuers. Founded in 1951, Advanta has long been an innovator in developing and introducing many of the marketing techniques that are common in the financial services industry today. Learn more about Advanta at www.advanta.com.

About Teach For America

Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. This fall, 6,200 corps members will be teaching in over 1,000 schools in 29 regions across the country while more than 14,000 Teach For America alumni continue working from inside and outside the field of education for the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excellence and equity. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org.

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