AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 16, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today Girlstart, the nonprofit that inspires girls’ interest and engagement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), announced it will be the sole beneficiary of funds raised by NXP (formerly Freescale) during the 2016 Austin Marathon and Half Marathon, presented by NXP (Feb. 14, 2016). The proceeds will help support Girlstart’s innovative, nationally recognized STEM education programs, such as Girlstart After School, and enable the organization to bring high-quality STEM education to thousands of fourth and fifth-grade girls in Central Texas and communities nationwide.
TWEET: .@NXP giving all funds raised during 2016 @austinmarathon to @Girlstart #STEM #girlsinSTEM #RunAustin
As the presenting sponsor of the 2016 Austin Marathon and Half Marathon, NXP’s mission is to work with organizations like Girlstart to further inspire students to pursue careers in STEM fields, as well as foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
“We are excited and humbled to partner with NXP and the Austin Marathon,” said Tamara Hudgins, Ph.D., executive director of Girlstart. “Our mission is to inspire young women and get them interested in STEM careers. Thanks to partnerships like NXP, we will be able to continue to expand our reach to thousands of girls in 2016.”
Funds raised through NXP will help Girlstart empower young women in the areas of STEM, encouraging them to pursue higher education in these important fields. Girlstart After School, one of the designated programs the fundraising efforts will help impact, enhances girls' STEM learning through fun, informal, hands-on and inquiry-based activities while exploring various subject areas such as aeronautical, aerospace, electrical, manufacturing, mechanical, petrochemical, and structural engineering.
Over the past 10 years, growth in STEM jobs was three times as fast as growth in non-STEM jobs. STEM workers also command higher wages, earning 26 percent more than their non-STEM counterparts. However, women’s share of the STEM workforce is only 24 percent, owing in part to the fact that women hold a disproportionately low share of STEM undergraduate degrees, particularly in engineering disciplines. Organizations like Girlstart and NXP aim to change that fact and are using the Austin Marathon as a platform to raise awareness and funding to support programs that inspire girls and get them excited about STEM.
Designed to reach girls who have limited or no access to high-quality extracurricular STEM education, Girlstart After School influenced nearly 1,500 girls in the fall of 2015 and aims to nearly triple its reach in the next three years by bringing the program to new regions, creating a pathway for national replication by 2017.
“At NXP, we support organizations that are shaping the innovators of tomorrow,” said Nancy Fares, senior engineer and vice president at NXP. “We are so happy to name Girlstart as our beneficiary for the 2016 Austin Marathon. Our organizations are both heavily committed to inspiring the next generation of technologists and we look forward to contributing to the expansion of their unique, female-focused STEM programs – recognized as one of the most robust STEM programs for girls in the U.S.”
To sign up to run with NXP in support of Girlstart in the 2016 Austin Marathon and Half Marathon, please register at https://austinmarathon2016.everydayhero.com/us/girlstart-2016-team-page.
About Girlstart
Girlstart, founded in Austin in 1997, is the only community-based, informal STEM education nonprofit in the nation. Specifically dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM, Girlstart provides year-round programming that promotes girls’ early engagement and academic success in STEM, encourages girls' aspirations and persistence in STEM education and careers, and incubates a talented and diverse STEM workforce. Its innovative, nationally recognized programs include after-school and summer camps for students, professional development for teachers, and community and online STEM education outreach programs. Girlstart cultivates a culture where risk is rewarded, curiosity is encouraged, and creativity is expected. As a result, Girlstart girls are connected, brave, and resilient. Girlstart makes girls more successful, and inspires them to take on the world’s greatest challenges.
About NXP Semiconductors
NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ:NXPI) enables secure connections and infrastructure for a smarter world, advancing solutions that make lives easier, better and safer. As the world leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, NXP is driving innovation in the secure connected vehicle, end-to-end security & privacy and smart connected solutions markets. Built on more than 60 years of combined experience and expertise, the company has 45,000 employees in more than 35 countries. Find out more at www.nxp.com.
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