For immediate release:

   June 20, 2007 

United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

announces grants to local  math, science & technology programs 

BOSTON – Delivering on a commitment made last fall as part of the merger agreement between United Way of Massachusetts Bay and United Way of Merrimack Valley, the organization announced today that effective July 1st, it is investing $250,000 to expand and support 10 programs that engage young people in the fields of math, science and technology and to provide technical assistance to the organizations receiving the grants.  The grants will be invested over a two-year period in organizations serving Merrimack Valley youth.  Today’s announcement comes as United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley plans to publicly celebrate the launch of the new organization on June 26 at United Way’s new Merrimack Valley office at Composite Way in Lowell. 

Grants will expand programs serving older youth to third- and fourth-graders, support and expand efforts to foster girls’ interest in math and technology fields, enhance science and technology programming for blind and visually impaired young people, support efforts that partner college students with middle school students, enable young people living in emergency housing shelters to participate in exciting after-school programs geared toward learning in these fields and support efforts to foster science learning among immigrant youth. 

“Innovation and discovery begins with a passion for science,” said Jeffery Hayward, senior vice president for community impact at United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley.  “Through this effort, we want to open hearts and minds to science at a young age.  It is our collective responsibility – especially in a region where science is a driving economic force – to show young people that scientific careers are realistic options.”   

Organizations slated to receive funds include:  Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lawrence, YWCA of Greater Lawrence, Girls Incorporated of Greater Lowell, Girl Scouts of Spar and Spindle of North Andover, Merrimack College of North Andover, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell, Lowell Association for the Blind, YWCA of Greater Newburyport, Alternative House of Lowell and Asian Center of Merrimack Valley. 

The merger agreement included a new investment of $250,000 over a two-year period by United Way to prepare young people for rewarding careers in math, science and technology-related fields.  United Way worked with leaders from biotech and life sciences industries, higher education institutions and programs serving youth to develop the initiative. In addition to the grants that will be invested directly into math, science and technology programs for youth, funds will be set aside for 2008 and 2009 to hold conferences on best practices in the field and inform future math, science and technology strategies.   

United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley’s Math, Science and Technology initiative (MSTi) began in 2004 as a groundbreaking collaboration between United Way of Massachusetts Bay and leaders in biotechnology and other science-driven industries. Leveraging a unique and powerful asset - high quality after-school programming - the mission of the MSTi is to increase awareness of math, science and technology-related career options among young people with the goal of building a long-term pipeline of qualified workers to support the continued growth and prosperity of the Massachusetts economy.

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2-2-2-2United Way announces investment in math, science & technology programs 

The objectives of the MSTi are: 1) young people will become and remain excited about math, science and/or technology; 2) they will learn and practice the habits of logical thinking; 3) they will increase their knowledge of mathematic, scientific and/or technological content; 4) they will become aware of math, science and/or technology-based careers as realistic options; and 5) they will experience math, science and/or technology as fun. 

Organizations receiving funds and programs include: 

Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lawrence -- United Way funds will be used to expand its current All Things Scientific initiative to serve third- and fourth-graders.  All Things Scientific is a multi-year math, science and engineering initiative underwritten by Philips Medical Systems. 

YWCA of Greater Lawrence -- Funding will support Zoey’s Room, a technology community for fifth- to eighth-grade girls to explore math, science and technology in a creative, safe, web-based environment.  Club members learn how to use the Internet safely, how to build a personal web site, how to program computers, animate and use digital media and images to make movies and creative presentations. 

Girls Incorporated of Greater Lowell -- The United Way MSTi grant will support SCOPE (Science Can Open Pathways for Exploration), which seeks to expose girls to positive math, science and technological experiences and professional role models in these fields. 

Girl Scouts of Spar and Spindle Council -- Funds will support Leading Girls to Math and Science in the communities of Lawrence and Lowell.  The program is an after-school curricula that consists of experiments in the life, physical and earth sciences. 

Merrimack College -- The Lawrence Math and Science Partnership will receive funds to enhance its efforts to expand scientific literacy and engage students in the “process” of science.  In this model, service-learning undergraduate students from Merrimack College are matched with youth at partner agencies where they work together to learn about math and physical science.   

Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell -- Funds will support ZOOMsci, research-based learning activities and experiments associated with the PBS ZOOM program.  Activities are designed to give youth opportunities to “do the things that scientists do – observe, ask questions, make predictions, test ideas, collect data, change one variable and share results.” 

Lowell Association for the Blind – This organization will expand Explore It After School! Technology and Science for Students with Visual Impairments by offering it as a summer program.  Programming will include workshops, lessons and field trips to appropriate science and technology venues. 

YWCA Greater Newburyport – United Way funds will support the establishment of “Zoey’s Room” for middle school girls at the Nock Middle School in Newburyport and in the elementary schools of Newbury, Rowley and Salisbury.  Zoey’s Room is a technology community and key technical skill-building program for girls ages 10-14. 

Alternative House – United Way funds will enable Alternative House to meet the agency’s long-held goal of enhancing the math, science and technology components in its youth programs. 

Asian Center of Merrimack Valley – The MSTi grant will build upon its current efforts to provide after-school activities in the fields of math, science and technology by supporting new summer programming for Merrimack Valley youth. 

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