Inspiring Chicagoland’s Future Scientists and Engineers
Glassboro, NJ – December 11th – Destination ImagiNation® (DI), the world’s leading organization offering real-world experience in creativity, problem solving and teamwork, announced it has received a $30,000 Innovation Generation Grant from the Motorola Foundation. Through the Chicagoland DI project, Destination ImagiNation will focus outreach efforts in Northern Illinois within Chicago, Waukegan, and Forest Park areas to engage students in grades 1 through 12 to lead the way to future to innovation.
The Motorola Foundation’s Innovation Generation Grants fund educational programs that spark a love of science, technology, engineering and math in today’s youth. Recipients of Innovation Generation Grants use the funding to offer programs to help kids discover that science, technology, engineering and math are challenging, interesting and fun, and they establish fundamental skills for a bright future.
“Motorola strives to help young people make the critical connection between the cutting-edge technology they enjoy every day and the educational foundation required to develop these cool products,” said Eileen Sweeney, director, Motorola Foundation. “Motorola’s partnership with Destination ImagiNation helps inspire a love of science by providing real-world experience and access to expert role models for young people around the nation.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs requiring science, engineering, or technical training will increase 24 percent to 6.3 million between 2004 and 2014, creating greater demand for critical thinkers fluent in technology. This Motorola Foundation Grant will enable more teams of students to tackle the fun, curriculum-based Challenges that provide a framework to apply their science and math skills in creative ways. The students participating in the Construction Challenge will also explore critical infrastructure issues and careers, inspiring them to pursue more math and science classes.
“Being an organization supported by over 35,000 volunteers, Destination ImagiNation is thrilled to partner with Motorola and interact with their employees that volunteer so generously,” said Diana Baldi, DI’s Far North Illinois Regional Director. “Building our volunteer infrastructure in several underserved areas will enable sustainable growth and deepening our budding partnerships in these communities.
Throughout the world, the Motorola Foundation’s dynamic network is inspiring future inventors and engineers. Since 2000, Motorola Foundation has contributed more than $35 million in grants to a variety of programs that draw students closer to science, technology, engineering and math.
In early 2007, Motorola launched the U.S. Innovation Generation Grant program, with $3.5 million available to support programs that infuse the future with skilled inventors. Funding focuses on programs that engage students in science, technology, engineering and math early in life, with priority given to those programs that incorporate Motorola employees as volunteers. For a complete list of Innovation Generation Grant recipients, visit www.motorola.com/giving.
For more information, contact:
Diana Baldi
(847) 682-4093
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