The Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MSI), today announced the recipients of its signature Innovation Generation Grants program for 2011. Now in its fifth year, this program awards $5.5 million to 100 non-profit organizations across the country that foster and support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiatives for teachers and  U.S. preschool through university students – especially girls and underrepresented minorities. 

KEY FACTS

• STEM education can help career prospects. Two recent studies by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) focused on the benefits of pursuing a career in STEM fields. The first report notes that those who pursue a science career both enjoy lower rates of joblessness and earn 26 percent more than their non-STEM counterparts, and the second report notes that women hold less than 25 percent of the jobs in STEM fields but earn 33 percent more, on average, than do women in other fields.
• This year’s grantees support the four distinct focus areas of the Innovation Generation program, working to:
  • Engage students and teachers in innovative, hands-on activities, such as National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Education Foundation’s collaboration with Elgin, Ill. School District U-46, which engages administrators, counselors and faculty in intensive professional development to implement research-based practices and increase access, success and post-secondary transition of girls in STEM subjects.
  • Teach STEM as well as develop innovative thinking and creative problem-solving skills, such as the GAMES – Girls' Adventures in Math, Engineering and Science – camp, which gives high school girls in Illinois the opportunity to explore engineering and scientific fields through demonstrations, classroom presentations and hands-on activities. 
  • Focus on girls and minorities who currently are underrepresented in the STEM disciplines, such as The FabFems Project 2.0, which strengthens the STEM pipeline using an online participatory, collaborative and inquiry-based framework to connect aspiring female students with STEM female professionals.
  • Take place in communities with Motorola Solutions employees and involve them as volunteers, such as Stony Brook Research Foundation’s STEM Tech, a university outreach program in Long Island, N.Y., which provides an after-school club and partners with educators and industry representatives on service learning projects.
• This year’s Innovation Generation programming provides hands-on education to more than 102,000 students and teachers.
• The Motorola Solutions Foundation has a long-standing commitment to its grantees. Eighty-two percent of 2011 recipients have received funding for at least two years. In addition, the Innovation Generation program looks to support new partners, with 18 percent of recipients new to the Innovation Generation Grants program.
• Eleven percent of grantees have an environmental focus, such as National 4-H Council, which supports 4-H environmental science clubs in Motorola Solutions communities. Students work to find STEM solutions to environmental issues and plan to participate in the 2011 National Youth Science Day experiment focused on wind energy.
• Launched in 2007, the Motorola Solutions Foundation’s Innovation Generation program has provided more than $25.5 million in STEM funding. These strategic grants support hands-on, interactive after-school programs, science clubs, math clubs, camps and mentoring. Innovation Generation also leverages the skills and expertise of Motorola Solutions employees to transfer knowledge and to inspire students.

SUPPORTING QUOTES

Matt Blakely, director, Motorola Solutions Foundation
“Motorola Solutions is a company committed to advancing innovation. In partnership with the Motorola Solutions Foundation, we support and recognize the next generation of STEM innovators. It is a privilege to work with our grantees to boost American students’ participation in math and science through their quality programming and pioneering engagement techniques.”

Dr. Gail Norskey, director, Center for Community Collaboration, Smith College
“Empowered by a Motorola Solutions Foundation Innovation Generation Grant and in partnering with The EdLab Group and Platform Shoes Forum on the FabFems Project, we develop effective online learning tools that can be accessed by girls throughout the nation. We are grateful to the Motorola Solutions Foundation for its dedication to STEM education and are thrilled that our grant will allow FabFems to engage young women as active members of the FabFems network, linking them as mentors and guides to younger girls and women in STEM.”

SUPPORTING RESOURCES
Motorola Solutions Foundation website: www.motorolasolutions.com/giving
Facebook: www.facebook.com/msifoundation
Twitter: @MSIFoundation
Video: Motorola Solutions at the 2011 FIRST© Championship

About Motorola Solutions Foundation

The Motorola Solutions Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions. With employees located around the globe, Motorola Solutions seeks to benefit the communities where it operates. The company achieves this by making strategic grants, forging strong community partnerships and fostering innovation. The Motorola Solutions Foundation focuses its funding on public safety, disaster relief, employee programs and education, especially science, technology, engineering and math programming. For more information on Motorola Solutions Corporate and Foundation giving, visit www.motorolasolutions.com/giving.

About Motorola Solutions

Motorola Solutions is a leading provider of mission-critical communication products and services for enterprise and government customers. Through leading-edge innovation and communications technology, it is a global leader that enables its customers to be their best in the moments that matter. Motorola Solutions trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “MSI.” To learn more, visit www.motorolasolutions.com. For ongoing news, please visit our media center or subscribe to our news feed. 

MOTOROLA, MOTO, MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS and the Stylized M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC and are used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2011 Motorola Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.

Motorola Solutions Foundation

Motorola Solutions Foundation

At Motorola Solutions, we embrace the opportunity to be a positive force for change. Our work is part of our never-ending pursuit to strengthen safety everywhere, but our contributions don’t end there. Our company gives back to the communities where it operates through the Motorola Solutions Foundation.

The Foundation, which has donated more than $100 million over the last 10 years, aims to partner with organizations that are creating safer cities and equitable, thriving communities, and prioritizes support for underserved and underrepresented populations. The Foundation focuses its giving in four key areas: 

• Technology & Engineering Education
• First Responder Programming
• Disaster Relief
• Employee Giving and Volunteerism

In addition, the Foundation aims to partner with organizations that align to our values of accountability, innovation, impact and inclusion.

About Motorola Solutions | Solving for safer 
Safety and security are at the heart of everything we do at Motorola Solutions. We build and connect technologies to help protect people, property and places. Our technologies support public safety agencies and enterprises alike, enabling the collaboration that’s critical for safer communities, safer schools, safer hospitals and safer businesses. Learn more about our commitment to innovating for a safer future for us all at www.motorolasolutions.com.

Contact Motorola Solutions Foundation

More from Motorola Solutions Foundation