More than 900,000 to benefit from grant-funded science and math programs as they head back to the classroom

Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions, announced today that it will grant $3.35 million to organizations to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, with a focus on women and minorities.

More than 900,000 students and teachers will receive an average of 100 programming hours from the foundation’s partner non-profit organizations this school year. Programs will support students of all backgrounds with a special emphasis on special populations underrepresented in STEM fields.

“These grants support educational experiences that inspire students to create the innovations that will shape our society’s future,” said Matt Blakely, executive director of the Motorola Solutions Foundation. “We want to show the leaders of tomorrow that careers in engineering and technology are not only fun, but also within their reach.”

The Innovation Generation grant program, in its eighth year, was awarded through a competitive review process to 88 organizations.

Here are just a few examples of the impact the grants have had so far this year:

• The Center for Neighborhood Technology's apps competition, based in Chicago, tasked students with creating and presenting innovative and fully functioning prototypes to benefit local Chicago communities.
• DiscoverE's Global Marathon engaged more than 1,000 participants and featured White House science advisor Megan Smith as well as other successful female STEM leaders who helped connect the dots between STEM concepts and real-world applications.
• FIRST Robotics, which provides students mentor-based programming that builds STEM skills increased participation across all of its programs, which foster well-rounded professional skills such as self-confidence, communication and leadership.
• The Ryerson University ROPE program, located in Ontario, Canada, provided a unique opportunity for 16 non-traditional engineering students to engage in research activities in engineering through a one-on-one mentor relationship with graduate students and faculty.
• The Brentwood STEM Enrichment camp, located in Long Island, NY, encouraged its 300 participants to improve their initial rocket designs to gain a better understanding of the iteration process, fostering creativity and innovation.
• The Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (CFEF) supported nine STEM projects throughout Florida, supporting more than 2,000 students with a robust network of more than two dozen STEM education providers and businesses.
• The Tech Museum of Innovation, located in San Jose, Calif., increased the number of female participants and its nearly 3,000 participants reported a significant increase in the following areas: STEM knowledge, collaboration, creativity and ability to solve real-world problems using STEM.

Picture: The Tech Museum of Innovation