Satnews Daily
September 16th, 2010

Space Systems/Loral... Looking To The Future With STEM (Program)


[SatNews] Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) is supporting Change the Equation (CTEq), a CEO-led initiative to cultivate widespread literacy in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Space Systems/Loral has joined the organization's founders with funding and other resources to support STEM teaching and help inspire students to pursue technology careers. "The satellite manufacturing industry provides many exciting career opportunities for technically savvy workers," said John Celli, president of Space Systems/Loral. "Every day our employees work on spacecraft that are launched more than 22,000 miles above the earth's surface and provide essential services to billions of people around the world. We commend Change the Equation for its efforts to promote science and math education and we hope that exposure to companies such as ours will inspire a new generation of children to pursue engineering and technology careers."

CTEq's goals are to:
  1. Improve STEM teaching at all grade levels, with a larger and more racially, ethnically and gender-diverse pool of highly-capable STEM teachers.
  2. Deepen student appreciation and excitement for STEM programs and careers to increase enrollment and success, especially among females and students of color.
  3. Achieve a sustained commitment to the STEM movement from business leaders, government officials, STEM teachers and other stakeholders through communication, collaboration and data-based decision making.
In alignment with these CTEq initiatives, SS/L will provide resources to local schools and will invite students who display proficiency in science and technology to get a first hand look at how communications satellites are designed, built and tested. Change the Equation was founded by Craig Barrett (former CEO, Intel), Glenn Britt (CEO, Time Warner Cable), Ursula Burns (CEO, Xerox), Antonio Perez (CEO, Kodak), Sally Ride (CEO, Sally Ride Science), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Change the Equation is encouraging corporations to build on and fuel the current momentum by aligning efforts to help ensure STEM investments, public and private, add up to measurable growth.