Education for Women/Girls

Through our work developing strategic partnerships that engage business professionals to create positive community change, we see two major STEM education challenges that skilled volunteerism can help address. Last week, we wrote about how skills-based volunteerism can help build capacity within the social sector to effectively deliver STEM education. Today we are sharing our perspective on how STEM education and volunteering can increase representation for women and diverse communities in both the social and corporate sector.

Through our Youth Learning program, Dell is working with nonprofit partners worldwide to give underserved youth better access to technology and education. Going beyond access, we’re also creating a culture of inclusion, wherein science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning is seen as being for everyone — boys and girls, rich and poor. And we’re teaching youth of all backgrounds how to be persistent and work though challenging problems.

Around the world, employers are seeking highly-skilled workers to take on existing and emerging roles in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, also known as STEM. Workforce development and education, particularly as related to STEM, are two of the largest focus areas for corporate and foundation giving as well as two of the largest mission focuses for nonprofits, according to the CECP’s 2017 Giving in Numbers report. Yet, even given this great investment, gaps in STEM education still exist, leaving both employers and students without the critical thinking and analytical problem-solving skills sorely needed in our ever-changing global economy.

The challenge of diversifying the tech workforce is confronting companies across sectors as more jobs are requiring computational thinking and digital fluency. Simultaneously, the demographics of the United States are changing rapidly, and companies are challenged with ensuring that the talent pipeline reflects those dynamic shifts. Developing a robust and diverse technical workforce in the United States is becoming a national priority as a result of the emerging technologies and their impact on industries.

Stellar Girls™, an after-school science program offered to more than 600 girls from 25 Chicago-area schools, was the recipient of an $8,570 check raised from voluntary contributions by employees of Astellas Medical Affairs, Americas (MAA) with a match from the Astellas Matching Gifts program. The donation, earmarked for program supply kits, augments funding provided by the Astellas USA Foundation and the One Astellas Spirit Run fundraiser sponsored by the Womens Employee Resource Group (Stellar Women) during the US National Sales Forum.

Today, American Express and Pharrell Williams announced an expanded partnership and joint commitment to raise awareness and support to bring more arts education to schools nationwide. As part of the collaboration, American Express Platinum and Pharrell will host a fundraising event, called the Yellow Ball, with an all-star lineup of collaborators on September 10, at the Brooklyn Museum to benefit Young Audiences Arts for Learning. American Express will also gift $1 Million to Young Audiences, the nation's largest arts-in-education network whose work strives to inspire young people and expand their learning through the arts.

For more than two decades, Cisco has built a world-leading IT training program, Cisco Networking Academy, which has empowered millions around the world. Now we are taking this experience to younger learners with Global Problem Solvers: The Series (GPS: The Series), a new animated web series for kids exploring entrepreneurship, life skills, and how to use technology for social good.

Although women fill nearly half of all jobs in the U.S., they hold less than 25% of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. A nonprofit camp in Charlotte is working to close this gender gap with help from local companies like Duke Energy.

Moody’s Corporation’s newly released Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report details the company’s progress in delivering on its goal of empowering people around the world to create a better future for themselves, their communities and the environment. “Moody’s CSR strategy is focused on finding challenges that we can solve by creating paths to knowledge and opportunity,” said Raymond McDaniel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Moody’s. “I am proud that Moody’s employees have dedicated their time and expertise to addressing these challenges — from supporting small business owners to nurturing the environment — in ways that have changed the world around us for the better.”

For the last several years Pearson has partnered with America’s Promise Alliance, a network of national, state, community organizations and individuals dedicated to creating better educational opportunities in the U.S. In this case, the goal was to find solutions for the economic and social issues that kept kids from graduating from U.S. high schools.