PRESS RELEASE: CA Technologies Supports Citizen Schools' STEM Programs
Press Contact: Holly Trippett, Citizen Schools, 617-695-2300 x1161 or 301-452-3904, hollytrippett@citizenschools.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CA TECHNOLOGIES SUPPORTS CITIZEN SCHOOLS’ STEM PROGRAMS
Boston, MA – June 25, 2014– Citizen Schools, a leading national education nonprofit, announced today it has received a $50,000 donation from CA Technologies, a leading IT management software and solutions company, to help fund its science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for students across six schools in Massachusetts.
Citizen Schools partners with underserved public middle schools to dramatically expand the learning day by 400 hours each academic year. During the additional school hours, the organization mobilizes AmeriCorps Teaching Fellows and volunteers from companies like CA Technologies who provide academic support and teach hands-on “apprenticeships” that help students make the connection between what they are learning now and a future career path. Over half of the skill-building apprenticeships are focused on STEM subjects and activities.
”We are proud to support the important work Citizen Schools is doing to expand educational opportunities for students,” said Erica Christensen, VP, Corporate Social Responsibility, CA Technologies. “Supporting STEM learning is a top priority for CA Technologies, and through initiatives like this we hope to help provide young people with the tools they need to succeed and encourage the next generation of technology leaders.”
The demand for professionals in the STEM fields is projected to dramatically outpace supply over the coming decades. By 2018, the U.S. is expected to face a projected shortfall of 230,000 qualified advanced-degree STEM workers. The Bureau for Labor Statistics also predicts that STEM jobs will grow 55 percent faster than non-STEM jobs over the next 10 years. Among the teenagers who express interest in science and math careers, nearly two-thirds indicate that they are discouraged from pursuing them because they do not know anyone who works in these fields or understand what people in those fields do.
“Our apprenticeships bring relevance and unique hands-on learning opportunities to students, sparking new interests and increasing their engagement in school,” said Tom Birmingham, Executive Director of Citizen Schools Massachusetts. “We are pleased to have CA Technologies as a partner as we work to improve and expand our STEM apprenticeships for the students and schools we serve.”
CA Technologies volunteers have taught apprenticeships to students in Citizen Schools in Boston, MA and New York, NY. The projects in Massachusetts have included “Measuring the Solar System” and “Life is a Laboratory,” where students transform into scientists for a semester. In New York, students created technologies to improve New York City and pitched their ideas to technology executives in “Back to the Future.”
About Citizen Schools
Citizen Schools is a national nonprofit organization that partners with middle schools to expand the learning day for children in low-income communities. Citizen Schools mobilizes a team of AmeriCorps educators and volunteer “Citizen Teachers” to teach real-world learning projects and provide academic support, in order to help all students discover and achieve their dreams. For more information, please visit http://www.citizenschools.org/.
About CA Technologies
CA Technologies (NASDAQ: CA) provides IT management solutions that help customers manage and secure complex IT environments to support agile business services. Organizations leverage CA Technologies software and SaaS solutions to accelerate innovation, transform infrastructure and secure data and identities, from the data center to the cloud. Learn more about CA Technologies at www.ca.com.
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