Cognizant’s “Making the Future” Initiative Awards 54 Grants to STEM Education Programs

Cognizant is awarding 54 grants in 2017 as part of its Making the Future education initiative. Designed to promote creativity and inspire interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among young learners, the initiative supports fun, hands-on “making” programs for students from grade school through high school. Being awarded to in-school, after school and summer youth programs, the grants will provide approximately 131,000 hours of making activities, including projects on electronics, robotics, computer programming, digital fabrication, 3D printing and wearable technology. Of the 54 grants, 17 are earmarked to fund Maker Corps sites that provide training for maker facilitators.

“As a U.S. based company and technology leader, Cognizant experiences first-hand the reality of the talent shortage in STEM fields, and we are committed to providing opportunities to learners of all ages to expand their skills in these areas,” said James Lennox, Global Chief People Officer at Cognizant. “Making the Future provides an on-ramp for young learners in particular to increase their exposure to the STEM disciplines and gain experience with the workforce skills demanded for success in the global digital economy. Cognizant believes that the process of making has tremendous potential to prepare youth to be life-long learners, and to tackle the complexity of the future of work with confidence and grit.”

Cognizant’s Making the Future initiative is part of the company’s broader mission to promote skills that help ensure a competitive American workforce. Launched in 2011, Making the Future has introduced more than 334,000 youth nationwide to over 2.1 million hours of making activities focused on STEM disciplines. In addition, the initiative has directly contributed to the training of more than 200 making facilitators through its support of Maker Corps, a program launched in 2012 by non-profit organization Maker Ed to help meet the rising demand for making facilitators in youth-serving organizations across the U.S.

Cognizant’s Making the Future initiative is also teaming with leading non-profits and maker-focused organizations to expand the maker footprint across the U.S. In 2017, Cognizant will continue to be a Silversmith Sponsor at both the Bay Area and World Maker Faires, as well as hosting a Makerspace at the National Scout Jamboree, an event expected to draw more than 40,000 Scouting enthusiasts.

The 2017 Making the Future and Maker Corps grant recipients are:

Arizona