Every year, GTIA recognizes the holiday season with our annual Giving Program. By providing donations to organizations around the world, we hope to support greater outcomes for disadvantaged groups and improve lives by enabling futures in tech careers. This year, $150,000 was awarded in charities in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Malaysia, Belgium, Indonesia and the Netherlands from the various GTIA member groups.
“Each organization has its own unique mission making positive impacts in their local communities and across the globe,” said MJ Shoer, chief community officer, GTIA. “GTIA member groups are honored to provide them with funds to address the latest challenges and build a stronger technology industry for future generations.”
Here’s a closer look at each of the donations:
The ANZ Community chose to donate to DeadlyScience, an organization that provides tech education to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders located mostly in rural or remote areas.
“We run a range of programs both virtually and face to face for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders throughout Australia,” said Scott Machin, COO at DeadlyScience. “The funding we received enabled us to expand those programs which means we get to more students that enables us to make a greater impact with those students and encourage them to pursue a career in STEM.”
The ANZ Community also chose The Australian Business and Community Network as the recipient of part of its donation because of its goals to create opportunities and remove barriers for students at low socioeconomic schools.
“This donation will be going towards our impactful STEM programs, providing the chance for students to meet mentors from a wide range of technology industries,” said Carrie Taylor, corporate partnerships manager with ABCN. “We know that Australia is not producing enough tech talent for the 21st century workforce and this will allow these students to understand the future career opportunities in this space.”
The executive council of the UK & Ireland Community selected Centrepoint to receive their donation. An organization dedicated to alleviating youth homelessness, Centrepoint has made it their mission to alleviate youth homelessness by 2037.
“Alongside our partners, we support almost 14,000 young people every year,” said Lucy Goble, community fundraising manager at Centrepoint. “Donations will help support mental health services, school costs or policy advocacy.”
The Benelux Community donated to DeLift Education, a non-traditional school that provides education opportunities for students with autism who have dropped out of school. Students are given tailor-made lesson plans to foster their strengths and expose them to the IT workforce.
“DeLift focuses on talents and tries to prepare students with an IT education,” said Annemie Willekens, director of DeLift Education. “With the support of our sponsors, we can provide teaching materials and extra activities. Thanks to GTIA, we were able to organize a two-day nature event for our students at the end of the school year.”
The Benelux Community also contributed to Net4Kids to help provide educational opportunities to children Africa and Asia and help them control the path of their own futures.
“At Net4Kids, we believe that creating a better world starts by giving children a chance to shape their own future. With the incredible support of GTIA, we’ve been able to bring IT education to young people in Africa and Asia. These are children who might otherwise have little hope for a future beyond labor or poverty,” said Annelieke Brackel director of Net4Kids.
The organization has provided IT vocational training programs to help build critical digital skills including basic computer literacy, programming and data skills.
“These children are building a foundation for careers in tech that can lift them and their communities out of poverty,” Brackel said.
The North America Community executive council chose the Starlight Children’s Foundation to support seriously ill children and their families.
“Hospitals can be a really scary place for children,” said Adam Garone, CEO of the Starlight Children’s Foundation. “They’re going through medical procedures, there’s pain, there’s boredom, there’s stress. Starlight exists to transform the hospital experience through play because we know that happy kids heal faster.”
Donations funded Nintendo gaming stations at 20 different hospitals and provided hospital gowns and toy deliveries to hundreds of other hospitals.
The IoT Advisory Council made a donation of $10,000 to The Posse Foundation in Atlanta, a group that helps kids from public Atlanta schools reach their educational goals.
“Your donation helps us provide the best possible support we can as they matriculate through their college years. We’ve had the privilege of supporting more than 900 students throughout their years on campus with our university partners. They’ve gone on to accomplish some amazing things, studying abroad, becoming commencement speakers, winning prestigious fellowships. We’ve even had a few be nominated for Grammys and one nominated for an Oscar,” said Jamaal Greer, director with Posse.
The ASEAN and ANZ communities chose to donate to The Children’s Protection Society, which serves the needs of neglected and abandoned children in Penang, Malaysia.
“The donation from GTIA will be used mostly for education and it will be helpful for the learning center we are setting up right now,” said a spokesperson for The Children’s Protection Society. “We believe the center is important for children because, after school, some children have nowhere to go. It will be good that we can keep them safe and prevent them from involvement with gangs.”
The ASEAN Community also chose to donate funds to Solve Education in Indonesia to support a safe environment for children in high-poverty areas. A group of innovators, technologists and educators who want to solve the problem of education inequity.
“The GTIA donation has been pivotal to help us provide free, quality education to people all over the world. This year we have grown our Solve My English Community in Indonesia to over 4,500 members. All over the world, we’ve reached the milestone of 100,000 monthly active learners for the first time ever,” said Saphira Anjani Suwanto of Solve Education.
The Benelux and DACH communities made a donation to the ReDI School for Digital Integration. ReDI is a school specifically designed to deliver technical skills to immigrants and fugitives who would otherwise be facing extreme educational barriers.
“Through your donation, we can help several people get access to vital tech training so they can land jobs and get sustainable income to help themselves and their families,” said Anne Bathel, founder of ReDi School or Digital Integration.
The Channel Development Advisory Council chose to contribute to TechPoint Foundation for Youth, which provides equal access to STEM education for underrepresented youth in Indiana, particularly girls and people of color.
“We’re able to provide hands-on learning experiences that connect classroom education to real-world applications for over 50,000 students. Your contribution makes a lasting impact by opening the doors to opportunities and closing the gaps in STEM access,” said George Giltner, president and CEO of TechPoint.
The AI Advisory Council selected Tech for Troops to receive their donation because they empower veterans with technology education as they reenter the world. Located in Richmond, Virginia, Tech for Troops wants to make a more seamless transition from military to civilian life for veterans and support their families during that growth process.
“The donation from GTIA had a massive effect on Tech for Troops. We were able to support over 400 veterans attending community college in Virginia,” said Mark Casper, president of Tech for Troops. We need the continued support of the community all across the United States to support the men and women who raise their right hand to make the world a better place and for us to be safe at night.”
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