Altera Boosts STEM Education in Silicon Valley with Grant for ALearn

SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Altera Corporation (NASDAQ: ALTR) today announced its Altera Foundation has further expanded its support to education initiatives by awarding a $60,000, two-year grant to ALearn, a non-profit organization that supports math and college readiness programs. The grant was made specifically to support STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) programs in the San Jose Unified School District.

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The ALearn grant will be used to teach at-risk 6^th and 7th grade students at Burnett and Hoover Middle Schools and will train teachers to use technology in teaching, blending textbook and online learning, hands-on activities, and a college readiness curriculum. At its core, the program helps students to master mathematics and science by building a positive, college-going mindset with strong teacher and peer support.

"While the need for more students with math and science degrees continues to grow, more and more students feel alienated when they fall behind in these subjects. Math is a foundational subject for all sciences, and students need to build both conceptual and skill levels to do well," said Kathryn Hanson, CEO, of ALearn. "We know that the teachers and curriculum have to better be able to reach and inspire students and Altera's grant will enable this."

The Altera Foundation is a corporate advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which advises Altera on its charitable giving choices and manages the distribution of the fund's assets.

"ALearn's efforts in enhancing STEM education align with Altera's corporate belief that innovation and learning leads to the betterment of individuals and society," said Kevin Lyman, senior vice president of human resources at Altera. "Altera is committed to organizations such as ALearn, who are helping students develop the skills they need in math and science that will make their futures brighter."  

Innovating Through STEM Education

The 2013 grant follows a $500,000 dollar, three-year corporate grant to Hughes Elementary School and the Santa Clara Unified School District in 2012. That grant was made to establish Hughes Elementary, in an area with a diverse student population, as a technology-based learning environment serving both its 500 students and as a training and technology center for the entire school district. Already, the three year program has outfitted classes with electronic SMART boards and provided curriculum training that allows teachers to engage students with interactive content.  The school has also seen higher test scores in key areas.

The Altera Foundation also supports employee charitable giving providing matching funds for organizations, particularly those that tackle the digital divide and promote STEM in the classroom. To date, Altera employees have supported almost 50 community organizations.

About the Altera Foundation

The Altera Foundation, founded in 2011, supports the company's belief that innovation enables the betterment of individuals, communities, and society. Through company grants, the foundation encourages the application of science, technology, engineering and math education to solve real-world problems. Additionally, the foundation's employee matching gifts program allows employees to increase the impact of their personal monetary contributions to STEM-related programs.

About Altera

Altera® programmable solutions enable designers of electronic systems to rapidly and cost effectively innovate, differentiate and win in their markets. Altera offers FPGAs, SoCs, CPLDs, ASICs and complementary technologies, such as power management, to provide high-value solutions to customers worldwide. Follow Altera via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and RSS, and subscribe to product update emails and newsletters. Visit http://www.altera.com.

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Editor Contact:
Karin Taylor
Altera Corporation
(408) 544-8207
[email protected]

SOURCE Altera Corporation