"STEM in the Schoolyard" celebrates back to school at Downtown College Prep

SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN) and Family Giving Tree will host "STEM in the Schoolyard" at Downtown College Prep (DCP) on Friday, July 27. The event kicks off the school year for 130 incoming, low-income DCP freshmen and their families and will include inspiring presentations by elected officials, hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities, as well as a welcoming reception for the new ninth grade students. Each student, the first in their family to go to college, will be outfitted for the new school year with a supply-filled backpack gathered by the Family Giving Tree and TI-30XS MultiView™ scientific calculators donated by TI.

San Jose City Councilmember Sam Liccardo (District 3), Santa Clara County Office of Education Superintendent Xavier De La Torre, as well as leaders from the participating organizations, will discuss the importance of collaboration between government, business, community and education to engage students in STEM education and provide all students the tools they need to succeed.

"We all agree that education plays a significant role in breaking the cycle of poverty in our communities," said Steve Hunt, vice president and business unit manager for power products at TI Silicon Valley Analog. "We are committed to STEM education and helping ensure that under-represented students have the resources and support to achieve in STEM subjects. TI and its employees are excited and pleased to support the Family Giving Tree Back to School Drive and Downtown College Prep."

The new ninth grade DCP students who recently completed the three-week Summer Bridge program will experience hands-on STEM activities, such as building a roller coaster to study energy conversion and using chromatography to design bandanas, facilitated by scientists from Schmahl Science Workshops.  Each will be welcomed and provided with new backpacks filled with the learning tools they will need to succeed in the new school year.

"With the right tools, mindset and support from the community, DCP students prevail in their pursuit of a college education. We're proud to partner with TI and Family Giving Tree to launch our students on the college path," said Jennifer Andaluz, co-founder and executive director for Downtown College Prep.

TI, which acquired National Semiconductor last September, continues its partnership with Family Giving Tree that Santa Clara site employees have been involved with for more than 20 years. This year, in addition to being the presenting sponsor of the Family Giving Tree Back to School Drive, the company donated 400 TI scientific calculators for all DCP students and is also matching $10,000 in employee donations through the TI Community Fund.  

TI's top corporate philanthropy has been education for more than 80 years, and STEM education is now the focus.  TI supports programs that promote effective teaching, increase student awareness of STEM and drive student achievement. The company focuses on communities where TI operates and collaborates with educators and partners to scale programs that achieve results and can be replicated. Read more about TI's support of education at www.ti.com/citizenship.

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments semiconductor innovations help 90,000 customers unlock the possibilities of the world as it could be – smarter, safer, greener, healthier and more fun. Our commitment to building a better future is ingrained in everything we do – from the responsible manufacturing of our semiconductors, to caring for our employees, to giving back inside our communities. This is just the beginning of our story. Learn more at www.ti.com.

About Family Giving Tree

Family Giving Tree has granted the specific holiday gift requests of more than 750,000 San Francisco Bay Area underprivileged children since its creation as a San Jose State University MBA project in 1990. In 1995 the Family Giving Tree created an additional Back-to-School Drive program, which delivers backpacks and school supplies to low-income Bay Area children in time for the opening of school each fall. Last year 14,200 supply-filled backpacks were provided to students. Every child deserves a level playing field as they start their school year. Family Giving Tree utilizes more than 7,000 volunteers each year to process gifts and supply-filled backpacks. Information about becoming a host company, sponsor, volunteer or making a donation online is available at www.familygivingtree.org.

About Downtown College Prep (DCP)

DCP prepares underachieving students who will be the first in their families to go to college to thrive at four-year universities. DCP has a singular goal for every student: DCP graduates will enroll in and graduate from a four-year university. Students and families choose DCP because they seek an academic environment where they will be challenged and supported to achieve high academic standards. Students often overcome years of academic struggle as they learn new habits of learning and develop the confidence to pursue the dream of college success. DCP students achieve high rates of college acceptance, enrollment and graduation, and serve as pioneers in their families and neighborhoods. Learn more at www.dcp.org.

Trademarks

MultiView™ is a trademark of Texas Instruments. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.

SOURCE Texas Instruments