Verizon Foundation Awards $75,000 to Chatham Marconi Maritime Center to Strengthen Student Achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math

CHATHAM, Mass., Nov. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
There is increased demand for students to have the strong science, technology, engineering and math skills needed for jobs in a fast-paced, knowledge-driven economy. To ensure the talent pipeline is strong, it is critical to provide students with innovative STEM programs early in their education.

The Verizon Foundation is donating $75,000 to the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center to partner with the MIT Club of Cape Cod and the Chatham Public Schools to create a program to develop curriculum and teacher training materials in the STEM fields, with a specific focus on communications, engineering and design. The goal of the program is to improve the academic performance of students by instituting an enhanced STEM curriculum in K-12 classrooms.

“School districts face many challenges when introducing STEM into their classrooms,” said Mary Ann Lanzo, project director for the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center. “Most teachers in our schools today have little exposure to the engineering-design process and the technologies that dominate our lives. This program will provide teachers with the necessary training and mentoring to help them improve STEM instruction and reach students more effectively.”

As the communications industry continues to fuel economic growth, the need for qualified STEM education is critical to the future of the industry as well as the overall economy.

“A strong communications infrastructure is needed to support an ecosystem of businesses that rely on technology to reach suppliers and customers around the world,” said Stephanie Lee, Verizon regional director of public affairs. “In addition, most of the job growth will be in STEM-related careers. The Verizon Foundation is pleased to support a program that will give students an advantage by introducing them to an important STEM curriculum early in their education.”

About Chatham Marconi Maritime Center
The Chatham Marconi Maritime Center (CMMC) was established in 2002 to play a leadership role in the community in preserving and operating a major component of the former Marconi/RCA wireless receiving station in Chatham, Massachusetts. As the largest marine coastal station in the U.S., Chatham Radio WCC contributed significantly to twentieth century communications history. Exhibits at the Center trace the evolution of wireless communication from its earliest days with Marconi, through the era in the middle of the 20th century when it was the busiest marine radio station on the east coast, to the present time when wireless devices are ubiquitous in our daily lives. The vision of the CMMC education program is to prepare students for the 21st century by giving them an integrated foundation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics with a special emphasis on communications engineering and design. We believe that the values, attitudes and thinking skills of engineers are essential skills for citizens in our world today.

About Verizon Foundation
The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, uses its technology, financial resources and partnerships to address critical social issues, with a focus on education and domestic violence prevention. Verizon has invested more than $28 million in domestic violence prevention. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.