Company brings together more than 150 Chicago students to hear directly from leaders in science, such as Sally Ride, and Motorola women engineers.
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – Motorola and the Motorola Foundation kicked off the sixth annual Global Marathon, a worldwide forum set to take place on March 10-11, which connects women and girls from six continents for a continuous conversation and inspiration around engineering.
The kick-off event was held at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium and Museum and featured more than 150 women and girls for a jam-packed day of education, collaboration and fun. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, served as the keynote speaker. Leslie Jones, chief information officer for Motorola, and Eileen Sweeney, director of the Motorola Foundation, also delivered motivating presentations on how women can truly impact business innovation and social change through science and technology.
As part of its global sponsorship of the Global Marathon, Motorola also will be:
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Sponsoring a three-part Android™ applications series that will teach participants how to first come up with a great idea for an app, then how to develop the app and, finally, how to protect and market it.
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Sponsoring an event in India for middle school students that will raise awareness about education and professional opportunities in STEM. It specifically will target students in underprivileged schools in Bangalore to showcase potential options for continuing beyond tenth grade, when free education stops in India.
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Hosting a live, interactive conversation with Eileen Sweeney, director of the Motorola Foundation, and Ruthe Farmer, director of strategic initiatives for the National Center for Women & Information Technology, to focus on the social and business benefits of bringing women into engineering and to recap key learnings from the 24 hours of the Global Marathon.
“Motorola, the Motorola Foundation and our employees around the world are thrilled to be a part of such an exciting and important global initiative,” said Eileen Sweeney, director of the Motorola Foundation. “The Global Marathon is a shining example of an educational program that is transforming young women’s perception of science and engineering and is helping to lay the groundwork for future educational and career opportunities.”
This initiative is a part of the company’s larger commitment to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. For more than 20 years, the company has worked with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) to introduce students to the limitless opportunities available in engineering and technology careers. The Motorola Foundation is providing more than $7.5 million – in 2010 alone – to support STEM education and inspire science-related careers, especially for girls and underrepresented groups. Outside the United States, Motorola has helped more than 25,000 children in rural China return to school through Project Hope, a youth education program run by the China Youth Development Foundation.
“I am so proud to be a part of an event that is helping make science and engineering accessible – and cool – for young girls around the world,” said Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut into space and currently president and CEO of Sally Ride Science. Dr. Ride keynoted the kick-off event of the Global Marathon. “These girls are our future science and technology leaders. It is our job to show them that anything is possible.”
Sponsored by The National Engineers Week Foundation, the Global Marathon also will include a combination of live Internet chats, webcasts, teleconferences and pre-recorded sessions that discuss career and education advice, professional and personal networking, and information sharing. The 2010 theme – ‘Launching Tomorrow’ –focuses on promoting the notion that through women’s work in engineering they are helping to create valuable innovations that shape the future in meaningful ways. It will feature both live and pre-taped events and virtual programming from around the world.
“Motorola’s support of the Global Marathon and STEM education overall has been invaluable,” commented Leslie Collins, executive director, National Engineers Week Foundation. “They continue to be a leading partner in the effort to educate girls and young women about the opportunities an engineering career offers for both personal and professional growth.”
For more information about the Global Marathon or to join the conversation, visit www.globalmarathon.net.
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. The 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.
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