Tech Citizenship

Parametric Technology Corp. manages its philanthropic activities around three main activities: the PTC Education Program, the Pan Mass Challenge and City Year. When the founders decided where to focus their charitable work, they decided the best way was to align their activities with their business skills.

“Recently we reviewed our commitment and would maintain education as our No. 1 initiative,” said John Stuart, senior vice president, global partners and education at PTC.

PTC is a maker of mechanical computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering software, so the company decided to use that software to give back to the community.

By giving back through technology education, the Needham-based company also contributes to solving a problem most of its clients face: the increasing lack of young Americans with technological skills.

That is how the PTC Education Program started to take shape. The program has now developed into a global initiative in 28 countries with 14,000 teachers, 12,000 schools and 3.2 million students participating.

The program offers affordable teacher-led technology training workshops, free licenses of its Pro/Engineer Wildfire design software, classroom materials and projects.

Making this software available to students has opened a wide range of opportunities for the company.

PTC encourages its employees to volunteer and help the program by mentoring students — employees are entitled to take two days per year for volunteer work — and it has recently launched a new activity, the PTC Worldwide Student Design Challenge.

Through this challenge, students can submit their product designs using PTC software. “Kids love it. They think in 3-D. It is the way their minds work,” said Stuart.

In addition to the PTC Educational Program, the company also collaborates on other initiatives. For instance, every summer, employees create a team to participate in The Pan Mass Challenge, a fund-raising bike-a-thon that benefits the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund. Last year employees raised $120,000 with 21 cyclists and more than 40 volunteers.

Another initiative is City Year, in which the company participates in different events for the national volunteering service, including a team sponsorship, mentoring program, a serve-a-thon, and annual evening fund-raising events.

After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, PTC created a perpetual scholarship for University of Massachusetts students majoring in engineering or applied science who were impacted by the events that day.

Events around the world also get the attention of PTC. The company raised money, for instance, to support victims and help rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

PTC is also partnering with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to assist with new training programs and employment opportunities for veterans with disabilities.

Citizenship Facts

Parametric Technology Corp.

Total cash contributions in New England in 2005: $160,000

Number of volunteer hours in New England in 2005: N/A

In-kind contributions of equipment and services in New England: $6.9M

Principal recipients of charitable activities in 2005: City Year, Boston; Museum of Science Boston; ICIC – Initiative for Competitiveness Inner City, Boston

Interesting philanthropic activities: Each year employees create a team to participate in the Pan Mass Challenge. In 2005, employees raised $120,000 with 21 cyclists and more than 40 volunteers. PTC has also partnered with the Department of Veterans Affairs to assist in new training and employment opportunities for veterans with disabilities.

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