Grace Hopper Celebration for Women and Technology Receives Innovation Generation Grant
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI) announced today it has received $51,000 as part of the Innovation Generation grant program from the Motorola Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Inc. The grant will be used to fund Overcoming Barriers, Boundaries and Bad News, a workshop for K-12 computing teachers to be held at the upcoming 2010 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing in partnership with the Computer Science Teachers Association. The 2-day workshop will help teachers recruit and engage students in the classroom, dispel myths and misconceptions about computer science as a discipline or future career, explore innovative technology, and establish partnerships across sectors in order to boost K-12 computer science education.
“The Motorola Foundation grant will enable the Anita Borg Institute and the Computer Science Teachers Association to expand the number of computer science teachers attending the K-12 computing teacher’s workshop at the Grace Hopper Celebration”
Since 2005, the Motorola Foundation’s signature Innovation Generation program seeks to boost American students’ engagement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through funding, employee volunteers and intra-grantee collaboration. Building on President Barack Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign and federal initiatives like the Race to the Top Fund, the program provides $7.5 million to K-12 programs across the U.S., including the Anita Borg Institute, to support hands-on, innovative after-school programs, science and math clubs, teacher training and mentoring programs.
“The Motorola Foundation grant will enable the Anita Borg Institute and the Computer Science Teachers Association to expand the number of computer science teachers attending the K-12 computing teacher’s workshop at the Grace Hopper Celebration,” said Jody Mahoney, Vice President, Business Development, ABI. “Thanks to the combined support of the Motorola Foundation, IBM and Google, the program will serve over 250 teachers. Our partnership with the Computer Science Teachers Association directly focuses on creating solutions to attract students and teachers to STEM.”
“Engaging youth in STEM fields will be crucial to driving future innovation and keeping America competitive in a global economy,” said Eileen Sweeney, director of the Motorola Foundation. “With the help of these grants, the Anita Borg Institute and Motorola can work together to ensure we are adequately building a diverse pipeline of critical thinkers and addressing the most pressing needs around education.”
Innovation Generation is a part of Motorola’s larger commitment to engaging youth in STEM education. More than just funding, the Anita Borg Institute will receive ongoing support from a Motorola employee through the company’s “Innovators” employee volunteer program, which utilizes the expertise of Motorola’s workforce to inspire the next generation of inventors. The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology also now is part of the Innovation Generation network, where it can create vital connections with hundreds of other organizations with the common vision to make a greater impact on STEM education.
Since 2007, more than $20.5 million has been awarded to STEM programs nationwide through Innovation Generation funding. For more information on the grant program, please visit www.motorola.com/giving. For additional information on the Anita Borg Institute please visit www.anitaborg.org. To learn more about the Grace Hopper Celebration and the K-12 Workshop visit www.gracehopper.org.
About the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI)
The Anita Borg Institute provides resources and programs to help industry, academia, and government recruit, retain, and develop women leaders in high-tech fields, resulting in higher levels of technological innovation. ABI programs serve high-tech women by creating a community and providing tools to help them develop their careers. ABI is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 charitable organization. ABI Partners include: Google, Microsoft, HP, CA, Cisco, First Republic Bank, IBM, Intel, Intuit, Lockheed Martin, National Science Foundation, NSA, NetApp, SAP, Sun/Oracle, Symantec, Thomson Reuters, Wilson Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, Motorola Foundation, Yahoo, Amazon, Facebook, and Raytheon. For more information, visit www.anitaborg.org.
About the Motorola Foundation
The Motorola Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola. With employees located around the globe, Motorola seeks to benefit the communities where it operates. The company achieves this by making strategic grants, forging strong community partnerships, fostering innovation and engaging stakeholders. Motorola Foundation focuses its funding on education, especially science, technology, engineering and math programming. For more information, on Motorola Corporate and Foundation giving, visit www.motorola.com/giving.
