SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Boeing Company on Monday announced a 1 million U.S. dollars investment in STEM NOLA to support the construction of the organization's state-of-the-art STEM Innovation Hub.
Boeing's investment will further STEM NOLA's mission to make science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education more accessible to under-resourced communities, the company said.
"Boeing invests in STEM education because it is the rocket fuel that will propel the aerospace industry forward -- including our future space programs," said Ted Colbert, CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security.
"And with the help of nonprofit partners like STEM NOLA, I know we're setting the future generation of aerospace leaders on the path to long-term success," he said.
Later this year, STEM NOLA will break ground on the 40,000-square-foot building in New Orleans East, in the southern U.S. state of Louisiana, that will serve as the STEM Innovation Hub. The hub will house laboratory space, classrooms, meeting spaces and 21st-century technology to expose, educate, train and connect students to STEM careers and skills, Boeing said.
"We will be teaching K-12 students how science, technology, engineering and math play major roles in our everyday life. Our goal is to create a destination for STEM innovation, entrepreneurship and workforce development," said Calvin Mackie, the founder of STEM Global Action and STEM NOLA.
Boeing said its investment in STEM NOLA builds on the company's commitment to Louisiana. Boeing employs more than 1,100 people in Louisiana, and over the past decade, it has contributed nearly 20 million dollars to communities across the state.
Founded in 2013, STEM NOLA works to eliminate socioeconomic barriers that prevent youth from learning about STEM, and since its inception, it has served over 100,000 students at 5,100 schools across the United States, and in five other countries, according to Boeing. ■