9.21.2007 - 11:07am ET

(CSRwire) SCHAUMBURG, IL - September 21, 2007 - The Motorola Foundation today announced $1 million in support of the National Academy Foundation's (NAF) Academy of Engineering initiative, which will help create 110 academies in high schools across the country to inspire young people to study science and engineering. In collaboration with Project Lead the Way and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, NAF's Academy of Engineering initiative will ultimately prepare students for careers in engineering to meet a growing market demand.

"Our job is to create opportunities for young people that will enable the next generation of great inventors," said Eileen Sweeney, director, Motorola Foundation. "Motorola's support for NAF's initiative extends our mission of igniting a passion for science in students and helping them make the connection between the cool technology they enjoy every day and the educational foundation they will need to invent the next great thing."

Motorola's contribution will support opening 13 Academy of Engineering pilot sites by September 2008 for ninth-graders and growing the sites to a national network of 110 academies by 2010. This support was announced today at the "Generation Now" summit in San Diego, which convened 200 leaders in business, education and government to address the expanding the role of corporations in improving our nation’s public schools.

"There are two crises in our schools that these academies will help to address," said NAF President JD Hoye. "They will encourage students, especially minority kids in inner-city schools, to focus on their future careers. At the same time, this initiative addresses the acute shortage of engineers available to America's employers."

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. Yet over the past decade, the NAF has seen declining enrollment and graduation rates in post-secondary engineering programs that can be largely attributed to fewer high school students showing an interest in engineering and technology.

"Motorola is committed to supporting science education programs for students because we know that children who attend these programs have a greater likelihood of attending a four-year college and then choosing a career in engineering," said Sweeney. "With the pipeline of engineers struggling to meet demand, the success of these academies is critical to the future of the global economy."

Since 2000, the 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 (STEM). The 13 Academy of Engineering pilot sites will be located in the following high schools and cities:

AJ Moore Academy - Waco, Texas
Burton High School - San Francisco
Construction Trades, Engineering & Architecture – New York
East High School on Arcadia - Columbus, Ohio
EDT Academy Morse High School - San Diego
Evergreen High School - Burien, Wash.
Frederick Douglass High School - Atlanta
H. Grady Spruce High School - Dallas
James Madison High School - San Diego
Northwest Career and Technical Academy - Las Vegas
Patrick Henry High School - San Diego
Porterville Charter Academy - Strathmore, Calif.
University High School - Los Angeles

About the Motorola Foundation

The Motorola Foundation is the independent 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 (STEM) programming. For more information, on Motorola Corporate and Foundation giving, visit www.motorola.com/giving.

About Motorola

Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Inspired by our vision of seamless mobility, the people of Motorola are committed to helping you connect simply and seamlessly to the people, information, and entertainment that you want and need. We do this by designing and delivering "must have" products, "must do" experiences and powerful networks -- along with a full complement of support services. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $42.8 billion in 2006. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit www.motorola.com.

About The National Academy Foundation

The National Academy Foundation (NAF) was created as a partnership between business leaders and educators to address the need to prepare students for professional careers. NAF serves over 50,000 students in over 500 Academies in 41 states and the District of Columbia in urban schools through small learning communities. The National Academy Foundation operates four Academies: the Academy of Finance, the Academy of Hospitality & Tourism, the Academy of Information Technology and the Academy of Engineering. More than 2,500 corporations are involved with local Academies, securing internships, volunteering in classrooms, acting as mentors and serving on local Advisory Boards. The NAF curriculum contains essential content based on industry and educational expertise. NAF's record of success with 90% graduation rates and more than 80% of these graduates going on to college, has garnered the support of corporations and public policy makers, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information, visit www.naf.org.

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