Micron Technology, Inc. today announced a key partnership between the Micron Foundation and UNICEF India aiming to build interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for children from rural and low-income communities. The Micron Foundation’s $408,000 USD grant will fund UNICEF programs focused on strengthening systemic approaches to fostering STEM learning and 21st-century skills for vulnerable children and youth in Karnataka and Telangana, with a special focus on supporting girls.
UNICEF’s Support for STEM Education
With this support, UNICEF will partner with schools across Karnataka and Telangana to improve Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) and set up low-cost makerspaces in schools to increase girls’ engagement with STEM education. The grant will help UNICEF strengthen ATLs by providing some of the funding necessary to build capacity and support for teachers, engage with volunteers to mentor students, and organize knowledge-sharing and workshops to expand girls’ access to STEM education. By supporting UNICEF in its makerspace efforts in Telangana and Karnataka, the Micron Foundation will help create a customized design of low-cost makerspaces, enabling UNICEF to reach 20,000+ students in the two states by March 2025.
Strengthening ATLs and Makerspaces
UNICEF will also enhance their Passport to Earning (P2E) platform, allowing girls and other marginalized groups in India to expand their access to key 21st-century skills, helping to ready them for success in the modern world. The Micron Foundation’s funding will help UNICEF increase P2E’s outreach to vulnerable groups in India, in part by translating and contextualizing courses into additional languages to help expand access to traditionally underserved youth.
Micron Foundation’s Contribution to Makerspace Efforts
The partnership announced today bolsters Micron’s long-term commitments in India. The company and the Micron Foundation both aim to deepen their community impact as Micron’s operational footprint in India continues to grow, following the June 2023 announcement of Micron’s plans to build India’s first semiconductor assembly and test facility for memory and storage with an initial investment of $800 million.
Long-Term Commitments in India
“UNICEF’s work will help to provide access to STEM and 21st-century skills for vulnerable children and youth, especially girls, and encourage them to pursue STEM education and careers,” said Micron Technology President and CEO, and Chairman of the Micron Foundation, Sanjay Mehrotra. “Micron’s innovations touch the lives of nearly every human being on the planet, and we feel a sense of responsibility to invest in our people and our communities.”
Education opportunities in India
“UNICEF works to improve education opportunities in India, and Micron’s partnership with them exemplifies our commitment to long-term impact in the communities where we live and work,” said Micron Managing Director in India Anand Ramamoorthy.
UNICEF & Micron: P2E Initiative
“Young people have highlighted in several consultations how 21st-century skills are critical for their future,” said Chief of YuWaah (Generation Unlimited in India) at UNICEF Dhuwarakha Sriram. “Together with Micron, UNICEF is harnessing the power of technology and forging public-private-youth partnerships to strengthen the skilling ecosystem for young people to realize their full potential. Our partnership marks a pivotal step towards equipping young people, particularly the most marginalized and girls, with access to 21st-century skills and learning pathways through the Passport to Earning (P2E) initiative. This will also equip them with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about their lives and livelihoods.”
Expanding access to education and opportunities through additional regional partnerships
In addition to the partnership with UNICEF, over the last several months, the Micron Foundation has invested in other nonprofits across India to expand access to education and critical life skills. These investments include:
Teach For India
With a special focus on Gujarat, the Micron Foundation is supporting Teach For India’s efforts to develop a strong pipeline of STEM teachers to ensure students receive the academic foundations and the 21st-century skills required to succeed in the workforce of the future. Our support will allow Teach For India to reach 15,000 students in the 2023 – 2024 school year.
Udayan Care
The Micron Foundation is working with Udayan Care to support children aging out of childcare institutions and alternative care programs with opportunities and access to resources for skilling and economic empowerment. The program is implemented in Gujarat and Delhi and will directly support over 400 children and vulnerable youth.
SOS Children’s Villages of India
The Micron Foundation will support SOS Children’s Villages of India in their efforts to provide education sponsorship support for nearly 100 vulnerable children to continue their education and build pathways to economic empowerment.
UN Women
The Micron Foundation supports UN Women’s ‘WeSTEM’ program, which aims to empower women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The initiative is focused on motivating and supporting 1,000 young women who are already enrolled in higher or vocational STEM education courses in select tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh, India. The program will enhance their employability skills, especially looking towards jobs of the future, and improve their access to higher education, internships, apprenticeships and decent job opportunities in STEM industries.
Providing equitable opportunities and enriching the communities where Micron’s team members live and work are priorities of the Micron Foundation. These partnerships and other investments help increase and improve access to STEM education and opportunities for historically underrepresented and vulnerable groups.
