Boeing and Motorola Solutions Foundation Present Inaugural Chicago STEM Signing Day

Just like signing days for athletes, the inaugural Chicago Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Signing Day on Thursday, May 24, will celebrate high school seniors from across the Chicagoland area as they make commitments to some of the country’s top technical schools, colleges and universities. These students will apply their talents in pursuit of STEM careers that will place them on the fast track to success in technical fields like those in the aerospace and telecommunications industries.

Students will sign STEM Letters of Intent at City Hall in downtown Chicago during a ceremony attended by elected officials and business and community leaders. Fifty students have been selected to take part in the event. The students were recruited by and applied through the Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative, a Project Exploration initiative – which is a community-based effort aimed at addressing inequities in the STEM learning landscape from early childhood to career

“Boeing is honored to recognize the achievements of some of the top students across the Chicagoland area and to celebrate their commitment to pursuing careers in STEM,” said John Blazey, vice president of Boeing Global Engagement. “The future innovators we are recognizing will be leaders in the advancement of technology and innovation in the 21st century workplace, and we are privileged to support them in this endeavor.

Boeing’s support of STEM Signing Day events extends beyond the Chicagoland area and into many communities where the company operates. In 2018, Boeing supported more than 240 students across the U.S. through participation in similar STEM Signing Day events in South Carolina, Alabama and Washington State.

"Our purpose as a company is to help people be their best in the moments that matter,” said Matt Blakely, executive director of the Motorola Solutions Foundation. “We are thrilled to invest in the future of the students we honor and recognize during our first-ever STEM Signing Day. As our future innovators and changemakers, we believe that one day, they too will help others be their best in the moments that matter.”

Over the last decade, the Motorola Solutions Foundation has granted nearly $60 million to STEM education programs across the globe, including $4.3 million in 2017 that supported two million teachers and students in more than 140 technology and engineering programs. The Motorola Solutions Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions, which creates innovative, mission-critical communications solutions and services and help public safety and commercial customers build safer cities and thriving communities.

“All of Chicago is proud to see our investments in high quality college prep programs help hard working students develop the skillsets needed to compete and win in the 21st century,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “We are grateful to partners like Boeing and Motorola Solutions, which are helping to ensure Chicago’s kids have a plan for success after high school and recognizing their hard work. It is the right thing to do for our students’ futures, and the right thing to do for Chicago’s future.”