The new ABB STEM Discovery Program will support middle and high school youth by providing STEM education to help them develop skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) necessary to become future scientists, engineers, and innovators.
The programming will be developed in conjunction with local Boys & Girls Clubs for their students’ needs. The curriculum will also provide the teenagers with job readiness skill-building.
Boys & Girls Clubs, based in Raleigh, NC, is the first organization to receive a grant in the ABB STEM Discovery Program. The program will help teens and pre-teens in three of the organization’s Raleigh locations to explore academic and career opportunities in STEM fields.
“We cannot overstate the value of this program and ABB’s investment in our kids,” said Matt Taliaferro, President/CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs, which operates ten Club locations in Wake and Johnston counties. “In our mission to help the kids who need us most to build stable, sustainable careers, ABB’s support of our STEM programs is a game changer,” continued Taliaferro.
The program is funded by a grant from the ABB Foundation, which will be used for supplies, staffing, training, and operating expenses of the program. It is part of a pilot project at Boys & Girls Clubs in five cities, for a grant total of $100,000.
“ABB aims to inspire the future workforce and create a lifelong passion for STEM education,” said Michael Gray, US Country Holding Officer. “We need future engineers, skilled contractors, and advanced manufacturing professionals to meet the needs of the global energy transition.”
City of Raleigh Mayor Pro Tem, Jonathan Lambert-Melton, visited the Boys & Girls Clubs Teen Center to underscore the importance of STEM education in the community. “We must always be asking ourselves, what kind of future do we want to build,” said Lambert-Melton. “Today, we see an answer to that question evident in this partnership between ABB and Boys & Girls Clubs that will help our kids imagine and pursue their career potential, ultimately changing their lives and the world.”
The ABB Foundation in the United States exists to improve the communities where ABB employees live and work. The ABB Foundation gives to organizations that work creatively to affect lasting change in three areas: STEM education, hunger and disaster relief. We also encourage and multiply the effects of volunteerism and charity from ABB employees in our communities.
