Classrooms getting a STEM facelift from Comcast

Have you visited a Boys & Girls Club lately? They certainly have changed over the years; now kids are editing videos, composing music and designing – all using technology.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education holds a special place in our hearts here at Comcast and we are excited to have the opportunity to contribute two $20,000 grants – one each to Salt Lake Youth Services and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake.

Our goal: to bridge the digital divide in part by funding new STEM classroom spaces.

These STEM classrooms will include new, state-of-the-art computers, tablets, smartboards, digital cameras, music studio tools and video-editing technology. Salt Lake Youth Services and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake also plan to use the grants to give the sites facelifts with fresh paint, furniture and structural repairs.

“Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake makes a meaningful difference in the lives of kids every day by inspiring them to become productive, caring and responsible citizens,” said LeAnn Salvidar, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake. “We are proud to partner with Comcast to help bridge the digital divide and develop the computer scientists, engineers, software developers and programmers of tomorrow.”

According to STEMConnector.org, STEM jobs in the U.S. are expected to grow nearly twice as fast as other fields by 2018. There will be more than 8 million STEM jobs in the U.S. by 2018, but 3 million of them may go unfilled because of a lack of people with required skills. The project-based learning experiences that are a part of My.Future will expose more young people to STEM-related activities to help address this large, unmet need.

“Technology training is absolutely mandatory for kids at every age today. In order to prepare youth for grade school, college, a career and life skills, they must know how to use computer hardware and software. Without support from Comcast, Salt Lake Youth Services would be unable to provide our youth with access to everything from basic computer programs to advanced digital arts and STEM related activities,” said Pat Berckman, Director, Salt Lake County Youth Services.

Since 2011, Comcast NBCUniversal has dedicated more than $240 million in cash and in-kind support to fund digital readiness initiatives nationwide, reaching nearly 3.2 million people through non-profit digital literacy partners.