Category: Press Releases

Nonprofit partnership brings STEM education and impactful afterschool programs to girls in Austin and across the U.S.

Austin, Texas, December 16, 2015 – 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 austinmarathon2016.everydayhero.com/us/girlstart-2016-team-page.

About Girlstart

Girlstart, founded in Austin in 1997, is one of the few 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.

Forward-looking statements

This document includes forward-looking statements which include statements regarding NXP’s business strategy, financial condition, results of operations and market data, as well as other statements that are not historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those projected. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except for any ongoing obligation to disclose material information as required by the United States federal securities laws, NXP does not have any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after NXP distributes this document, whether to reflect any future events or circumstances or otherwise. For a discussion of potential risks and uncertainties, please refer to the risk factors listed in NXP’s SEC filings. Copies of NXP’s SEC filings are available from the SEC website, www.sec.gov

For further press information, please contact:

Julie Shannan

+1 512 916 4775

julie@girlstart.org

Jacey Zuniga

+1 512 895 7398

jacey.zuniga@nxp.com

2015 STEM Video Competition Winners

Every day a light goes on in a young person’s head as they grasp new concepts in science, mathematics, engineering and technology (STEM), all because an afterschool or summer learning program has created a hands-on experience where interests are sparked and passions are fueled. Through support from the Noyce Foundation and the C.S. Mott Foundation, we are pleased to announce we are one of the winners of the 2015 STEM Uncovered: Telling Our Afterschool Stories video competition.

Girlstart is one of six winners from across the country highlighted for their work in supporting innovative activities and helping their students in identifying with STEM careers. Other winners include the ACE Youth Project (CT), First Robotics Team 4057 (OR), Graduation Generation Zero Robotics (GA), Dimension Learning (NY), and Princeton YWCA (NJ).

“It was a unique opportunity for afterschool and summer programs to tell us the stories about the difference they are making for kids and their organizations,” said Ron Ottinger, Executive Director of the Noyce Foundation. “Their innovative efforts are sparking kids’ STEM interests and inspiring more youth to consider careers in these fields.”

By the year 2020, almost two thirds of jobs will require postsecondary education or training, with nearly 80 percent of careers requiring some STEM skills. Not only does STEM programming help kids to develop the skills necessary to be successful for a 21st century workforce, but STEM-focused afterschool programs also engage students who have been otherwise turned off by education.

STEM programs are like charging stations that power up kids’ learning. These six winning videos shine a spotlight on the great work that is happening in the STEM field and sharing how their program is uncovering STEM learning and inspiring kids to build, create, explore and dream.
“We’re proud to be selected as one of the Noyce Foundation and C.S. Mott Foundation’s video competition winners,” said Girlstart deputy director Julie Shannan. “Preparing the video gave us the chance to reflect on how engaged Girlstart girls are in our summer camp programs and in how much fun they have while they’re learning, which we believe comes through in the video. It was also rewarding to feature young women who have moved on to STEM studies in college after being inspired by what they learned and experienced through Girlstart.”

Visit stemvideocompetition.org to learn about the competition and view the winning videos. For more information about Girlstart, visit the program’s official website, www.girlstart.org.

NAMES GIRLSTART A “BRIGHT SPOT IN HISPANIC EDUCATION”

WHITE HOUSE INITIATVE ON EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE FOR HISPANICS NAMES GIRLSTART A “BRIGHT SPOT IN HISPANIC EDUCATION”

(AUSTIN) – Today, the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics announced Girlstart was named a Bright Spot in Hispanic Education. The designation, given to Girlstart for its investment in key education priorities for Hispanics, is tied to the release of an online national catalog to identity notable Hispanic-serving institutions.

According to the Initiative’s announcement, timed for the commencement of Hispanic Heritage Month, the catalog is being published “to leverage these Bright Spots to encourage collaboration between stakeholders focused on similar issues in sharing data-driven approaches, promising practices, peer advice, and effective partnerships, ultimately resulting in increased support for the educational attainment of the Hispanic community, from cradle-to-career.”

“We’re honored to be recognized by the Initiative for the work we’re doing with Latina students throughout the nation,” said Tamara Hudgins, executive director for Girlstart. “Be it our work in Central Texas, our national outreach via the Girlstart ‘to Go’ program, or our expansion of after school programs in Central Texas, Houston, and the Rio Grande Valley, it’s been important for us to inspire young Latina students toward futures that involve STEM studies.”

More than 230 organizations across the nation are included in the catalog, reviewable on the Initiative’s website, www.ed.gov/HispanicInitiative. (You can find Girlstart’s entry via this bitlink: www2.ed.gov)

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, through 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.

TO BE RECOGNIZED AT GAME CHANGERS ANNUAL LUNCHEON ON SEPT. 2

GIRLSTART ANNOUNCES 2015 WOMEN IN STEM AWARD HONOREES, TO BE RECOGNIZED AT GAME CHANGERS ANNUAL LUNCHEON ON SEPT. 23

(AUSTIN) – Girlstart has announced the recipients of its 2015 Women in STEM Awards, honoring women who have distinguished themselves in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers and have been inspirational to girls seeking to pursue STEM education and STEM careers.

The award recipients will be honored as part of Game Changers, Girlstart’s annual luncheon event, which takes place this year on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at the JW Marriott Hotel (110 E. 2nd), featuring Jacqueline Fuller, director of Google.org (which provides more than $100 million yearly to support tech innovators making transformational impact in areas such as education, development and renewable energy), as this year’s keynote speaker.

Honorees include:

Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen, Co-Founders of Roominate, a Bay Area company specializing in a “unique blend of building, circuits, design, crafts, storytelling, and creativity” geared to “inspire the next generation of innovators;”

Laura Bosworth, CEO and co-founder of TeVido BioDevices, a biotech startup that uses innovative 3D printing to create custom breast implants and grafts, made from a woman’s own cells, for reconstruction after cancer treatment;

Nasrin Rezai, GE Capital’s Global Chief Information Security Officer and head of Corp. Security & Compliance Officer for the industrial GE businesses;

Runi Duvall, this year’s Alumna Honoree, who participated in the inaugural Girlstart program and went on to earn a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters degree in Construction Engineering and Project Management from The University of Texas at Austin. She is currently the Senior Construction Manager for Hanger, Inc., the nation’s leading provider of orthotic and prosthetic patient care and rehabilitative solutions.

Sponsorships are still available for Game Changers, and a limited number of individual tickets are still available. More information on the event, including more on the award honorees and a list of current sponsors, is online at www.girlstart.org/support-girlstart/annual-luncheon.

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, through 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.