Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Tech Citizenship

CA Technologies helps Natick Community Farm

CA helps out Natick Community Farm on Earth Day
In celebration of Earth Day 2011, employees from the 630-person Framingham office of CA Technologies took time out of their regular business day on April 22 to help out at Natick Community Organic Farm. The Natick Community Organic Farm began in 1976, when the Town of Natick’s School Committee agreed to lend land to a project that shortly became the nonprofit NCOF. The mission of the community farm is to introduce local residents and schoolchildren to the importance of open productive space, organic agriculture, and supporting local farms and farmers. The local event was part of CA Technologies’ annual Earth Day celebration with 17 ‘Green Week’ community volunteer activities across the globe. In total, CA volunteers gave their time on Earth Day in activities that took place in Atlanta, GA; Austin, Texas; Cary, N.C.; Ewing, N.J.; Framingham; Islandia, N.Y.; Lisle, Ill.; New York, N.Y.; Plano, Texas; Pittsburgh, Penn. and Tampa, Fla. CA employees participated in Earth Day activities throughout Australia, Canada, Columbia, Denmark, India and Spain. CA Technologies is a global IT management software and solutions company based in Islandia, N.Y.
 

Bangor bank and Jackson Lab back STEM ed
The Bangor Savings Bank Foundation boosted science education in Maine with a $10,000 award to The Jackson Laboratory to support the Maine State Science Fair. Sheryl Edgecomb, vice president and Ellsworth branch manager of Bangor Savings Bank, and Rose White, vice president for retail services, presented the award at a brief ceremony at the Laboratory on Friday, April 8. Professor Bob Braun, associate director and chair of research at The Jackson Laboratory, accepted the award on behalf of the institution’s education staff. After the presentation, Justin Lipkvich, Amberosity Davis and the team of Andy Gallup and Ransom Burgess, all Mount Desert Island Regional High School students, talked about their Fair projects. They are the first MDI High students ever to participate in the Maine State Science Fair. Fifteen schools and close to 200 student projects registered for the Maine State Science Fair, which took place at The Jackson Laboratory on Saturday, April 30. The grand prize went to Michelle Kahn of Greely High School, for “What Factors Contribute to the breakdown of Oil.”

AMTI launches Force and Motion Foundation to promote science education
Advanced Mechanical Technology Inc. of Watertown recently established the Force and Motion Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to support the advancement of scientific knowledge and education. The foundation, which is fully funded by AMTI, plans to distribute more than $50,000 in travel awards this year. Funds provided to students will help defer the cost of traveling to and attending professional conferences. The foundation is launching this spring, with several high-value academic scholarships being awarded later in the year. Through the Force and Motion Foundation, AMTI intends to share its extensive knowledge and provide support in the form of educational scholarships, financial contributions and professional travel assistance to the next generation of men and women working in the field of multi-axis force measurement and testing.

Lesley University gets $50K from the Verizon Foundation for teachers
The Verizon Foundation has awarded $50,000 to Lesley University to continue its partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to help teachers use Verizon’s Thinkfinity.org to improve student achievement across all subject areas. The grant is the fourth installment of funding that is enabling the university and the state education department to reach more teachers with professional-development opportunities by delivering online Thinkfinity.org training via the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s MassONE portal. Over the past three years, the collaboration among Verizon, Lesley University and the state education department has created a network of 150 Thinkfinity trainers who have trained more than 4,000 teachers throughout the state to use the online resource. The training will be expanded to still more teachers. With the latest grant, the Verizon Foundation has donated more than $250,000 since November 2007 to support the collaboration between Lesley and the state education department.

MassBioEd, MLSC and Thermo Fisher team to offer schools discounted supplies
Thirty-two Massachusetts schools and work force training programs will receive discounted lab supplies through a new partnership between the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd), the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and Thermo Fisher Scientific. MassBioEd has also offered 11 of those schools enhanced professional development opportunities in biotechnology thanks to a grant from the Thermo Fisher Scientific Foundation. In March, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center announced its first round of grants through its new Equipment and Supplies Program for Skills Training and Education. The program provides funding to Massachusetts vocational schools, community colleges, and workforce training organizations to purchase the equipment and supplies necessary to further the development of the state’s life sciences work force. Through a new collaboration between MassBioEd, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and Thermo Fisher Scientific, these 32 schools and work force training programs will be allowed to purchase their supplies at a discount, ensuring schools get the most bang for their buck. Through its Fisher Scientific channel, Thermo Fisher is a primary supplier for the MassBio Purchasing Consortium. MassBioEd established the partnership to extend those savings to the schools.