August 26, 2013
Motorola Solutions Foundation Awards $4.4 Million in Grants to Support Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – Aug. 26, 2013 – The Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MSI), today announced its 2013 Innovation Generation grants will provide $4.4 million to more than 100 organizations that ignite passion and interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects and careers for teachers and students, especially girls and underrepresented minorities.
Since 2007, Innovation Generation grants have provided $34 million to support more than 400 STEM programs at schools, museums and nonprofits in the United States and Canada.
Motorola Solutions and the Motorola Solutions Foundation are committed to supporting STEM education, which includes bringing together thought leaders to leverage best practices and elevate the dialogue in these subjects. This year, Motorola Solutions plans to host the Change the Equation conference at its headquarters in Schaumburg, Ill., where education leaders from businesses in the Midwest will collaborate on strategies to improve STEM learning.
KEY FACTS
- For 2013, the Motorola Solutions Foundation is awarding $4.4 million in grants to more than 100 organizations across the United States and Canada. This year’s grants will benefit more than 150,000 students and teachers in K-12 and at the university level, providing an average of 93 direct contact hours per student or nearly 14 million hours of STEM learning during the year.
- The grants were awarded in two categories:
- Local Impact Grants target innovative, hands-on STEM education programs for elementary through university students and teachers, such as the Techbridge Girls After-School Program, which provides after-school programs that offer innovative, hands-on activities and career exploration in science, technology and engineering to 120 underserved girls in California, as well as, professional development for teachers at four participating schools.
- National Partnership Grants support large-scale, multi-regional STEM education programs that impact at least 150 participants, such as Science Buddies’ Reinforcing STEM Pathways program, which will deliver science exploration and education project resources, as well as career information to millions of students worldwide. Science Buddies’ free-access website features hands-on scientific investigations and career exploration.
- Most grant programs are in communities where Motorola Solutions has facilities, which allows the company’s talented workforce to volunteer with the grant recipients, extending the funding’s impact.
- Several grants will support programs with wide geographic impact, such as the Girls Scouts of the USA Girl Scout Robotics Program, which will support 660 girls in 110 Girl Scout Robotics Teams in areas throughout the United States.
- In an effort to target girls and young women, a group often underrepresented in STEM careers, 11 percent of the grants will support girls-only programming, such as the Girls Incorporated of Pinellas STEM University program.
Matt Blakely, director, Motorola Solutions Foundation
“It is important to encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Careers in these fields not only pay well, but also solve many of the problems our world faces. The Motorola Solutions Foundation created the Innovation Generation grant program to support instruction and educational experiences that spark young imaginations and turn dreams into the inventions and discoveries that will shape our future.”
SUPPORTING RESOURCES
- View the full list of 2013 Innovation Generation grant recipients.
- Follow the Motorola Solutions Foundation on Facebook and Twitter.