Akamai Foundation Announces 2020 Global STEM Education Grants

Rhea-AI Summary

Akamai Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2020 global STEM education grants aimed at enhancing technology innovation in underserved communities. Supported by Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: AKAM), the grants focus on promoting excellence in mathematics for K-12 students in regions including Atlanta, Boston, Costa Rica, and India. In 2020, the Foundation provided $1.1 million for COVID-19 relief and an additional $20 million for diversity initiatives in tech. Future grant proposals will be accepted in early 2021.

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• Akamai Foundation awarded global STEM education grants to support technology innovation in underserved communities.
• The Foundation committed $20 million to initiatives promoting diversity in the technology sector.

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• None.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Akamai Foundation, a charitable fund endowed by Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), today announces recipients of the Akamai Foundation 2020 global STEM education grants. The Akamai Foundation is dedicated to encouraging the next generation of technology innovators by supporting STEM education in underserved communities, with a focus on the pursuit of excellence in mathematics in grades K-12. The 2020 STEM grant recipients support communities in Atlanta; greater Boston; Costa Rica; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; India; New York; Poland; Reston, Virginia and the San Francisco Bay area.

"During these difficult times, our commitment to STEM education is unwavering, and we will continue to focus on addressing the digital divide and digital inclusion within education so our global youth can remain inspired, hopeful and connected," commented Anthony Williams, president, Akamai Foundation and executive vice president and chief human resources officer, Akamai Technologies.

In addition to STEM grants, the Akamai Foundation provides disaster relief and humanitarian aid globally and supports volunteerism by connecting employees to the communities in which Akamai operates. Two new programs were undertaken by the Foundation in 2020. In May, the Foundation launched a $1.1 million multi-tiered, multi-phased global community response to COVID-19. In August, the Akamai board of directors approved an additional $20 million contribution to the Akamai Foundation. This amount was granted with a specific aim of supporting initiatives that increase diversity in the technology industry.

"Our nonprofit grantees have shown extraordinary resilience and compassion as they are forced to adjust to a new way of learning and teaching," said Kara DiGiacomo, executive director, Akamai Foundation. "They have reimagined educational outreach and stepped up in unprecedented ways to deliver resources in a time of uncertainty. We are proud to be able to support these efforts."

The Akamai Foundation looks forward to partnering with the following programs in 2020-2021:

Costa Rica

Funda Vida, San Jose
Global Communities of Hope, San Jose
Rocket Girls, San Jose

India

Akshara Foundation, Bangalore

Poland

Education for the Future Foundation, Krakow
Malopolska District Children's University Foundation,Krakow 
Children's University Foundation, Krakow
Foundation for the Development of Mathematical Education, Krakow

United States

Advantage Testing Foundation's Math Prize for Girls, New York, New York
Atlanta Partnership of Business and Education's Get Our Kids Connected, Atlanta, Georgia
Boys & Girls Club of Boston, Boston, Massachusetts
Brookview House, Boston, Massachusetts
Center for Excellence in Education, Washington, DC
ChickTech, Portland, Oregon
Citizen Schools, Boston, Massachusetts
Community Charter School of Cambridge Foundation, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Discovery Museums, Acton, Massachusetts
Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Girls Who Code, New York, New York
Hidden Genius Project, Oakland, California
Innovators for Purpose, Cambridge, Massachusetts
IT Women Foundation, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Jr. Tech, Girls MA STEM Summit, Boston, Massachusetts
Latino STEM Alliance, Boston, Massachusetts
Maverick Landing Community Services Inc., East Boston, Massachusetts
MATHCOUNTS Foundation, Alexandria, Virginia
Mathematical Association of America, Washington, DC
MIT Online Science, Technology & Engineering Community, Cambridge, Massachusetts
National Children's Museum, Washington, DC
Prospect Hill Academy Charter School Foundation, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Science Club for Girls, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Science from Scientists, Boston, Massachusetts
Society for Science & the Public's International Science & Engineering Fair, Washington, DC
The Tech Interactive, San Jose, California
The Young People's Project Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
Youth Development Organization, Lawrence, Massachusetts

In addition, the Akamai Foundation and Akamai's office of inclusion, diversity and engagement have collaborated to award impact grants to 20 U.S. and non-U.S. nonprofit organizations selected by Akamai Employee Resource Group (ERG) members. The ERGs awarded over $100,000 in impact grants aimed at building stronger community connections, enhancing outreach and educational awareness efforts for diverse populations and causes Akamai employees are passionate about. Some of the organizations recommended by our ERGs include: GLSEN, Project New Hope, Stemettes and Dream a Dream.

The 2021 grant proposal submission window will open in the early part of 2021. Important dates and guidelines for grant proposal submissions will be communicated through the Akamai Foundation's website later this year.

About the Akamai Foundation

The Akamai Foundation is a private corporate foundation dedicated to excellence in mathematics, with the aim of promoting math's importance and encouraging America's next generation of technology innovators.

The Akamai Foundation is dedicated to encouraging the next generation of technology innovators by supporting STEM education, with a focus on the pursuit of excellence in mathematics in grades K-12. This year's recipient pool expands the Foundation's reach globally through direct grants to locally-registered charities and global non-government organizations that emphasize assisting under-represented groups within today's technology workforce.

About Akamai

Akamai secures and delivers digital experiences for the world's largest companies. Akamai's intelligent edge platform surrounds everything, from the enterprise to the cloud, so customers and their businesses can be fast, smart, and secure. Top brands globally rely on Akamai to help them realize competitive advantage through agile solutions that extend the power of their multi-cloud architectures. Akamai keeps decisions, apps and experiences closer to users than anyone — and attacks and threats far away. Akamai's portfolio of edge security, web and mobile performance, enterprise access and video delivery solutions is supported by unmatched customer service, analytics and 24/7/365 monitoring. To learn why the world's top brands trust Akamai, visit www.akamai.com, blogs.akamai.com, or @Akamai on Twitter.

Media Relations

Gina Sorice
(646) 320-4107
gsorice@akamai.com

 

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SOURCE Akamai Technologies, Inc.

FAQ

What is the purpose of Akamai Foundation's STEM education grants in 2020?

The grants aim to enhance technology innovation by promoting excellence in mathematics among K-12 students in underserved communities.

How much did Akamai Foundation allocate for COVID-19 relief in 2020?

Akamai Foundation allocated $1.1 million for a global community response to COVID-19.

What is the total funding provided by Akamai Foundation for diversity initiatives in 2020?

Akamai Foundation provided an additional $20 million for diversity initiatives in the technology sector.

When will the 2021 grant proposal submission window open for Akamai Foundation?

The 2021 grant proposal submission window will open in early 2021.