HP supports US National Lab Network

September 16, 2010

HP is mobilizing its US employees and retirees to inspire a million young students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, as part of the National Lab Network hands-on learning program across America.

HP has stepped up to The White House call for urgent action to improve STEM education. HP is participating in innovative collaboration with educators, fellow corporations and the civic sector, through initiatives like Change The Equation Foundation and US National Lab Network (NLN). There is a burning need to raise US students’ performance in order to drive the innovation and benefits that are critical to a successful future - for the young people, their communities and their country. As President Obama said: “We are not advancing as we must. We must increase STEM literacy ... [to] move American students from the middle to the top of the pack in the next decade.”

HP is running a US-wide skilled employee volunteering drive to support National Lab Network across the 2010/11 school year, and co-hosted the National Lab Network nationwide kickoff from the San Francisco Bay Area on September 15, 2010. HP employees and retirees are sharing their skills and enthusiasm as STEM professionals, to help energize a million grade-school students and their educators across the country this year. As announced in May 2010, HP is backing these volunteer efforts with further funding, technology and pro bono services, to enable local schools to develop and run effective hands-on projects to boost STEM learning.

The National Lab Network objective is to catch the students while they’re young, to stimulate their connection with these vital skills and encourage them to stay in STEM education through the rest of their school and college years – particularly for those in under-served communities. It’s a sustained effort – HP and the National Lab Network community aim to reach out to 10 million young students over the next 4 years.

HP has a longstanding commitment to social innovation in education. As the largest technology company in the world, HP has an amazing opportunity to make a difference in the many countries and communities where it operates – through its highly-skilled employees, technology and partners. HP is working with leading experts in education on critical issues that affect students and educators at all levels, to provide immediate practical support and to boost collaboration on the longer term challenges through initiatives like the HP Catalyst research consortia. HP’s aim is to foster the future innovators and entrepreneurs that the world needs in business and society, through the enabling power of technology and the skills of HP professionals.