DETROIT, Sept. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Athletes for Charity, Tata Technologies and the Detroit Lions have joined forces to expose Detroit Public School students to embrace Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), while also developing their skills in reading and writing.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140918/147101
"The demand for skilled workers in science, technology, engineering, and math is on the rise while the availability of qualified applicants is on the decline because students are not pursuing degrees and careers within the sector," said Alisa Harewood of Tata Technologies, a global engineering services company with North American headquarters located in Novi.
The program aims to improve learning outcomes and student interest in science, technology, engineering and math, while creating pathways to success in post-secondary education and 21st century careers.
Two schools have been selected for the inaugural launch of the STEM Youth Literacy Program: Clark Preparatory Academy—visited on Sept. 9—and Dixon Educational Learning Academy. Representatives from Tata Technologies, Athletes for Charity and the Detroit Lions are set to visit Dixon on Tuesday, Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
"Our partnership with Tata Technologies and the Detroit Lions represent an innovative way to fuse the nonprofit, corporate and sports sectors, to motivate students in the areas of STEM," said Cathleen Laporte, founder and president of Athletes for Charity.
The curriculum will include monthly book distributions by various Detroit Lions players, coordinated by Don Carey of the Lions, to deliver age-appropriate STEM-related titles to students. Introductions to STEM literature and careers will be a recurring theme throughout the 10-month long program. Tata Technologies staff and various Detroit Lions players will volunteer their time to serve as STEM Readers.
Detroit Lions Safety Don Carey is a founding member of the program and serves as a liaison to the team and his teammates who have elected to volunteer for the initiative. Invitations have been extended to Tigers, Pistons and Red Wings players to join the team as STEM supporters.
Additional supporters of the STEM Youth Literacy Program include The Helen L. Kay Charitable Trust and support from athletes such as Detroit native Anthony Adams, a retired nine-year NFL veteran who most recently played for the Chicago Bears. Adams currently serves a as a host of Inside the Bears.
About Athletes for Charity
Athletes for Charity is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to serve as a charitable initiative dedicated towards encouraging the giving of time, financial resources, and information to improve the collective lives of disadvantaged youth, advance the common good and support the nonprofit sectors that benefit the underprivileged, including foster care children. Visit www.athletesforcharity.com.
About The Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL), and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit. The team is the National Football League's fifth oldest franchise. In addition to professional football, the Detroit Lions have a very visible and active community relations role in the Detroit area. The Lions have contributed $7.2 million through philanthropic efforts since 1991. Visit www.DetroitLions.com.
About Tata Technologies
Tata Technologies is a leading provider of engineering and product development IT services for the global manufacturing industry.
The company applies cutting-edge technology and engineering know-how to provide a competitive advantage to customers in the manufacturing sector. Tata Technologies is a strategic partner for developing complete vehicles, engineering subsystems and components, managing the NPI process and collaborative engineering engagements, and tying together information created and used throughout the extended manufacturing enterprise. Corporate headquarters are in Singapore, with regional headquarters offices in the United States (Novi, Michigan), India (Pune) and the UK (Coventry). Founded in 1989, the company has a combined global work force of more than 7,200 employees serving clients worldwide from facilities in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Visitwww.tatatechnologies.com.
*Great photo and video opportunity.
