Winner: GE Lighting - MC2 STEM High School / GE Lighting Partnership
Since their partnership began, GE volunteers have worked to embed the 10th grade students and staff of MC2 STEM High School in Cleveland into as many GE programs as possible as well as create new ones that support the school's mission by bringing real-world components to them.
The largest program that GE Lighting employees run with the students is the “Empowering People with Light Capstone.” This is a ten week project that was designed by GE employees from across all functions for the students of MC2 STEM.
The capstone challenges the students to think about how and why products are created, and for whom, through designing and prototyping a lighting system for those who are disabled. The students are led through a new product introduction process from beginning to end, including building a working prototype, potentially programming it, marketing, finance and much more. The students then present their ideas to GE Lighting business leaders and school staff for assessment.
The capstone, however, is just one program; other programs that GE hosts for the students include, but are not limited to: a buddy program where each student is assigned a mentor from the business that they meet with twice a month; tutoring in math, science and reading; roundtables with GE business leaders; and FIRST Robotics mentoring.
On average 175 GE volunteers work with the students of MC2 STEM through one or more programs, which in turn totals GE employees giving on average more than 2,625 hours to the students each school year.
While the annual budget is minimal, the estimated value of contribution is much greater. From 2008-2015 GE Lighting donated more than $1.507MM by way of in-kind supplies, time & project material to MC2 STEM High School.
The partnership is currently in its eighth year and stronger than ever. Both GE and the school continue to think strategically of the most innovative ways to partner and foster growth for the students.
Honorable Mentions:
• Anthem Foundation - Triple Play: Combating Childhood Obesity with the Mind, Body and Soul
• BJ's Wholesale Club/BJ’s Charitable Foundation - BJ's Provides Fresh Way to Fight Hunger
• CENTURY 21 Real Estate LLC - Delivering Josiah's Dream Day
• JetBlue Airways - Dream Project and JetBlue: An Education Partnership
• Lenovo Scholar Network - Empowering Future Tech Leaders
• McDonald’s B-Boy Royale - Ronald McDonald House Charities of the New York Tri-State Area Partnership
• MWW - Subaru Drives Home the Shocking Need for Pet Safety
• Pepco Holdings Inc. - STEM Initiative
• SAP - AdVenture Capital Digital Platform
• Teva Pharmaceuticals - National Corporate Partner of Volunteers in Medicine
• Türk Telekom - Life is Simple with Internet