Huawei Partners with K to College to Help Equip California Students for Educational Success

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced it has become the first statewide corporate sponsor of K to College, and will provide over 1,500 reduced lunch-eligible students with school supplies and dental care kits to ensure they are prepared when they enter the classroom. K to College is a non-profit organization that operates the largest free school and dental supply program for underprivileged students in California.

Twenty Huawei employees and K to College teamed up with Santa Clara Mayor Jamie Matthews today to kick off the partnership by distributing school supply and dental care kits to the entire student body of more than 500 students at Scott Lane Elementary School. Ninety-three percent of Scott Lane Elementary School students are enrolled in the subsidized lunch program.

"We are delighted to have Huawei's support, which will help so many students start the school year off right," said Benito Delgado-Olson, executive director of K to College. "We are committed to providing the tangible resources that students need to help them along the path to success, and we hope to continue working with Huawei to bring those resources to the Bay Area community."

Huawei's sponsorship includes a $40,000 donation to K to College's School Supply Initiative and Dental Kit Initiative, which will enable the organization to expand the program to the South Bay.

"We believe that all students across the globe deserve an equal chance at earning a great education, regardless of their background or where they live," said Guolin Wang, Head of Huawei American R&D Center.

"We appreciate the supplies so very much!  Even these basics are sometimes out of reach for our struggling families. Our kids and parents want to work hard, learn and achieve.  Huawei and K to College's practical and generous gift will give them the tools and support they need to succeed," Melissa Alatorre-Alnas, Principal of Scott Lane Elementary School, said.

"During my career as a teacher, principal and school board member, I saw first-hand the impact that inequity in education can have on students and their ability to thrive," said Silicon Valley Congressman Mike Honda. "This public-private partnership between Huawei and K to College will help to ensure that each and every child in California has the opportunity to succeed, starting right here in Santa Clara. As I recently proposed in my STEM Network Act, public-private partnerships that can expand access to instructional materials are an important investment in our nation's future, one which will help ensure that today's students learn the critical thinking and technical skills they will need as tomorrow's workforce."

For further information on Huawei's partnership with K to College, please visit here.

About Huawei 
Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Through our dedication to customer-centric innovation and strong partnerships, we have established end-to-end advantages in telecom networks, devices and cloud computing. We are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers by providing competitive solutions and services. Our products and solutions have been deployed in over 140 countries, serving more than one third of the world's population.

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About K to College
K to College, founded in 2008 by a group of UC Berkeley students and alumni, is a non-profit public benefit corporation whose school supply and dental kit initiatives are the largest efforts of their kind in the United States, providing essential resources to tens of thousands of students.

Since 2010, K to College has distributed more than $12,000,000 worth of grade-appropriate school and dental supply kits to more than 200,000 students in 55 Bay Area school districts. More than 3.5 million public school students in California are enrolled in the Free or Reduced Price Meal (FRPM) program, which has a 185% of poverty level income ceiling. These students struggle to afford the basic yet critical instructional materials necessary for a quality education. This material resource gap not only stymies students' confidence and academic achievement, but also burdens teachers and school districts.

Contact:
Francis Hopkins
202-289-5894
[email protected]

SOURCE Huawei