Company Signs MOU with Mercy Corps and Beijing Dandelion School
BEIJING, June 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, June 13, Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the international non-governmental organization Mercy Corps and the Beijing Dandelion School to establish a Corning Scholarship Fund and a Distinguished Teacher Award. Under the terms of the agreement, Corning will grant US$20,000 (approximately RMB140,000) through its Foundation to Dandelion’s School-to-Work project during the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 academic years. The MOU signing ceremony was held on Dandelion’s premises in Daxing District in the outskirts of Beijing.
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Beijing’s Dandelion School is the first and only legally registered junior high school for migrant workers’ children. Its School-to-Work program, which was established in March 2007, aims to provide employment skills, livelihood options, and concrete connections to the skilled job market for migrant children aged between 14 and 18, many of whom are impoverished.
The grant, which will be administered and managed by Mercy Corps, is to be divided into two parts; 14 students will be awarded scholarships and five teachers will win the Distinguished Teacher Award through strict evaluations each year.
Eric Musser, Corning China CEO, who signed the MOU on behalf of the company, said, “Corning hopes this financial aid will positively and directly impact the school lives and future employment opportunities of migrant youth. We respect as well the teachers who are dedicated to this course. And we hope through our collaborated efforts, we can help migrant children change the fate from that of their parents as cheap laborers in urban cities. Our goal is that these children will take advantage of this opportunity and equip themselves with skills that will make it possible for them to enhance their working opportunities, and at the same time to provide business and industry with a technically qualified and stable workforce.
“Moreover, the School-to-Work project fits well with Corning China’s overall CSR efforts, as one of our major focus areas being education initiatives.” Musser said.
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About Beijing Dandelion School
Dandelion School was established in August 2005. It is the first and only middle school established specifically for children from low-income migrant families in Beijing. It is a charitable, nonprofit educational institution located in Daxing District, a suburb of Beijing City. Founders and teachers of Dandelion School, share the following understanding about education: Through education we nurture a child’s character, and by nurturing a child’s character we make the world better.
Currently there are 640 students and 48 full- time teachers. The school fully complies with the State Compulsory Education Law. In addition to the state-mandated curriculum, the school has developed courses to meet the special needs of migrant children.
The school is governed by a board of trustees. Financial support for the school is mainly derived from tuition, government funds and contributions from individuals and organizations. The school manages its financial assets with the utmost care, professionalism and transparency. The KPMG is in charge of the school accounting responsibility.
About Mercy Corps
Established in 1979, Mercy Corps is a private, non-denominational, non-profit international relief and development organization committed to alleviating suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. Mercy Corps has provided over $830 million in assistance to people in 80 nations.
Mercy Corps’ goal in China is to foster the development of civil society initiatives to better respond to these domestic and regional needs. We work with local partners to produce programs that combines livelihoods building and economic development while also addressing the specific needs of many of China’s marginalized citizens - ethnic minorities, communities affected by HIV/AIDS, and urban migrants.
About Corning Incorporated
Corning Incorporated ( http://www.corning.com ) is the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics. Drawing on more than 150 years of materials science and process engineering knowledge, Corning creates and makes keystone components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications and life sciences. Our products include glass substrates for LCD televisions, computer monitors and laptops; ceramic substrates and filters for mobile emission control systems; optical fiber, cable, hardware & equipment for telecommunications networks; optical biosensors for drug discovery; and other advanced optics and specialty glass solutions for a number of industries including semiconductor, aerospace, defense, astronomy and metrology.
The Corning Incorporated Foundation has a history of supporting selected organizations that promote national, and sometimes international, understanding and good will. Resources are directed almost exclusively toward initiatives which improve the quality of life in and near communities where Corning Incorporated is an active corporate citizen.
