Charlotte, NC ― Representatives from the Verizon Foundation today presented a $20,000 check to Communities In Schools of Charlotte-Mecklenburg at The Performance Learning Center (PLC) High School to support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives. The grant will provide STEM-related education such as math and science labs, job shadowing in STEM fields, STEM related service learning and other activities. Students will be guided in maximizing the use of mobile technology in the classroom, such as recording data and analyzing results for various science experiences.
“The focus on careers in science, technology, engineering, and math has never been greater, and for good reason,” said Molly Shaw, executive director of CIS of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. “These are some of the most promising and exciting career options available to students today. We’re thrilled that – thanks to the Verizon grant – our students here at the Performance Learning Center will have increased exposure to STEM careers and related technology. This is a fantastic way to kick off the new year.”
CIS of Charlotte-Mecklenburg is among five Communities In Schools of North Carolina (CISNC) affiliates each receiving a Verizon Foundation grant of $20,000. Mike Bickel, Senior Vice President of Global Client Services with Verizon and a CIS of North Carolina (CISNC) Board member, said that better equipping at-risk students with technology-based education programs will help them succeed in the classroom and prepare them for life after graduation.
“The Verizon Foundation is thrilled to assist the Communities In Schools Performance Learning Centers with the effective integration of mobile technologies to increase student engagement and interest in science, technology, engineering and math careers,” said Bickel.
Also on-site at the event was a 40-foot “STEM Bus,” created as an outreach project by North Carolina Community Colleges and BioNetwork to inspire students across N.C. to explore life science career opportunities. After the check presentation, officials from Verizon, Communities In Schools, students and staff from the PLC and nearby Druid Hills Academy were invited to tour and experience the interactive STEM Bus. The Bus features activities related to technical careers across North Carolina, allowing students to learn about many STEM subject areas such as manufacturing, aerospace, healthcare and green technologies through individual job tasks in short experiments or mini labs.
The STEM Bus visit is funded by a grant given to Communities In Schools of North Carolina (CISNC) by the Verizon Foundation. The STEM Bus will also visit the other four Performance Learning Centers in North Carolina.
“This partnership with Verizon could not come at a better time,” said Linda Harrill, CISNC President & CEO. “If we want a well-educated workforce, then we must invest the resources necessary to provide all of our students the chance they need to reach their potential, especially those whom some might dismiss as lost causes. The PLCs show that there is no such thing as a lost cause: every child has value, potential and can thrive under the right educational environment.”
For more information about CISNC’s Performance Learning Centers, visit www.cisnc.org/ initiatives/performance_learning_centers.
About Communities In Schools of Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Communities In Schools (CIS) surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. An affiliate of the national Communities In Schools network, CIS of Charlotte-Mecklenburg serves over 7,000 students annually in 45 high-need Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools who are most at-risk for dropping out. As the nation’s leading dropout prevention organization, Communities In Schools is helping build a stronger local community where every child is capable of reaching his or her greatest potential. www.cischarlotte.org
About The Verizon Foundation
The Verizon Foundation is focused on accelerating social change by using the company’s innovative technology to help solve pressing problems in education, health care and energy management. Since 2000, the Verizon Foundation has invested more than half a billion dollars to improve the communities where Verizon employees work and live. Verizon’s employees are generous with their donations and their time, having logged more than 6.2 million hours of service to make a positive difference in their communities. For more information about Verizon’s philanthropic work, visit www.verizonfoundation.org; or for regular updates, visit the Foundation on Facebook (www.facebook.com/verizonfoundation) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/verizongiving).
About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with nearly 96 million retail customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500. A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of 184,500. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.
# # #