Category: Press Releases

FlowPlay Partnership Marks Girlstart’s First In-Game Fundraiser; Fuels Seattle-Area Summer Camp and Other National Programs

Seattle, Wash., and Austin, Texas – December 10, 2014 – FlowPlay, a leader in virtual world games and technology, today announced its partnership with Girlstart, a nonprofit that inspires girls interest and engagement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through innovative, nationally-recognized informal STEM education programs. As Girlstart’s first-ever in-game fundraising campaign, beginning now through Jan. 5, FlowPlay’s ourWorld or Vegas World players can raise money for Girlstart STEM programs by purchasing uniquely branded Girlstart virtual goods. One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit Girlstart programs nationwide, including the entire funding of a Girlstart summer camp, taking place in Bellevue, Wash. in Summer 2015.

The U.S. faces a critical shortage of skilled STEM workers, and an even larger deficit of women in STEM. While more women than men enroll in college, women earn only 31% of total STEM degrees, only one in seven engineering degrees, and only 18% of computer science degrees. Furthermore, women hold only 24% of the nation’s STEM jobs. Girlstart programs engage girls in STEM education, empower them to continue these studies, and inspire them to pursue STEM careers, to ultimately help address workforce inequities, impact innovation, and build bright futures for girls and their families.

FlowPlay and Girlstart share a common focus on increasing girls interest in technology, a cause that has been traditionally underserved – particularly amongst the gaming community – and one that was an early motivator for FlowPlay’s flagship game. Currently, ourWorld boasts more than 800,000 active users, a majority of which are females (65%) under the age of 18 (80%).

Through Jan. 5, ourWorld players can use their in-world virtual currency, Gems, to purchase a ‘Rocket Science Girl,’ which will accompany their avatar throughout the game and enable them to gain Flow 100% faster, an aspect of the game that allows players to level-up and boost their in-game experience. Every purchase of the ‘Rocket Science Girl’ equates to a $5 donation to Girlstart. Players in FlowPlay’s social casino title, Vegas World, can also contribute through purchases of a Rocket Ship Charm, which will provide a $0.50 donation to Girlstart.

“Like Girlstart, FlowPlay and its games meet girls where they are, by connecting their interests in technology with their social activities,” said Julie Shannan, deputy director at Girlstart. “Part of our philosophy is that girls can be true to who they are and pursue STEM interests, and ourWorld provides an environment that fosters that same passion for individuality and technology. Our partnership with FlowPlay signifies our very first in-game fundraising effort, making this campaign a huge milestone for our technology-centric organization.”

“We wanted to support an organization that is addressing a cause deeply rooted in the genesis of our company and core audience, and one for which we can really make an impact,” said Derrick Morton, CEO of FlowPlay. “Girlstart is highly active, with programs that actually make a difference for elementary and middle-school aged girls. With this in-game donations campaign, ourWorld users have the opportunity to move the needle with an organization they can relate to, and see the tangible impact of their contributions.”

All proceeds will support Girlstart programs nationwide, with a special emphasis on Girlstart STEM summer camps. In 2013, the Girlstart Summer Camp program was recognized by Change the Equation as one of four “exemplary” and “highly scalable” innovative STEM education programs in the United States. Girlstart summer camps are weeklong learning experiences in STEM that introduce 4th-8th grade girls to the fun of STEM through innovative hands-on learning challenges.

Since 2011, Girlstart has provided free summer camp programming to high-need girls in Bellevue, Wash., but the organization is continually seeking financial, facilities and volunteer partners from surrounding Seattle Area businesses. Thanks to FlowPlay’s contributions, Girlstart will bring this award-winning weeklong camp back to the Bellevue community in Summer 2015.

For more information about Girlstart’s programs, visit www.girlstart.org.

About FlowPlay

FlowPlay, a developer of virtual environment and game technologies, make immersive worlds and massive multiplayer games possible with no software required beyond a basic browser. FlowPlay’s first consumer product, ourWorld, is played by over 35 million players and is one of the most popular teen virtual worlds. Vegas World, FlowPlay’s flagship social casino MMORPG, achieves industry-leading player monetization rates. In November 2013, FlowPlay introduced its social casino white-label platform, allowing businesses from any industry to quickly and easily bring their own uniquely branded social casino games to market. FlowPlay was founded in 2006 and is primarily funded by Intel Capital and the creators of Skype. For more information on FlowPlay, contact bizdev@flowplay.com.

About Girlstart

Founded in Austin, Texas, Girlstart is the largest and longest-running community-based informal STEM education nonprofit in the nation specifically dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM through year-round STEM educational programming. Since 1997, Girlstart has served over 50,000 girls and 7,500 teachers and families with school-based programs, professional development for teachers, summer camps, STEM career conferences and expos, large-scale science events for families, and community STEM education outreach programs. Girlstart programs are open to girls K-16. We are focused on serving girls of diverse ethnicities, girls who live in low-income or nonurban environments, and/or are considered at-risk. For more information on Girlstart programs, volunteer opportunities, or for Girlstart activities to do at home or in the classroom, please visit http://www.girlstart.org/.

Contacts:

Lindsey Bradshaw
Barokas PR
Lindsey.Bradshaw@barokas.com
(206) 264-8220

Phil West
Orange Cone Agency
phil.west@orangeconeagency.com
(512) 769-3838

AUSTIN, Texas – Oct. 27, 2014 – Girlstart, the nonprofit that inspires girls’ interest and engagement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), has received a grant from the Freescale Foundation. The grant 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 the Central Texas community.

“We are honored to be awarded this grant from the Freescale Foundation,” said Tamara Hudgins, Ph.D., executive director of Girlstart. “They understand what we are trying to accomplish in the Austin and surrounding communities and this grant is a testament to our program’s success in getting young women interested in STEM careers. Thanks to partnerships like the Freescale Foundation, we will be able to continue to expand our reach to thousands of girls throughout Central Texas.”

The Foundation grant will help the organization empower young women in the areas of STEM, thereby encouraging them to pursue higher education in these important fields. Girlstart After School, one of the designated programs the contribution 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.

Designed to reach girls who have limited or no access to high-quality extracurricular STEM education, Girlstart After School influenced nearly 1,000 girls in the fall of 2013 and anticipates impacting more than 1,200 girls throughout 2014, directly serving more girls than any other after school STEM program in the country.

In the past decade, growth in STEM jobs grew three times faster than growth in non-STEM jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. In addition, STEM occupations are projected to grow by 17 percent through 2018, compared to 9.8 percent growth for non-STEM occupations. However, women hold a disproportionately low share of STEM undergraduate degrees with only 24 percent of the STEM workforce being women.

“The Freescale Foundation is committed to STEM initiatives that inspire the diverse innovation leaders of tomorrow,” said Karen Rapp, Freescale Foundation board member. “Freescale employees have been volunteering with Girlstart for many years and we recognize the importance of investing in STEM education.”

Girlstart will be joined by Freescale employees and representatives of the Freescale Foundation during its Game Changers Annual Luncheon on Thursday, October 30, 2014. The luncheon is a special celebration honoring women who have made a significant impact locally or nationally utilizing their STEM education.

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.

ABOUT FREESCALE FOUNDATION 

Founded in 2013, the Freescale Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education for K-12 students in the communities where Freescale employees live and work. Whether it is unveiling the fun science behind model rockets, the engineering that enables robots or the technology that drives automotive advancement, the Foundation aims to empower the innovators of tomorrow.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Phil West, Orange Cone Agency, for Girlstart 512.769.3838, phil.west@orangeconeagency.com

Jacey Zuniga, Corporate Public Relations, Freescale
512.895.7398, jacey.zuniga@freescale.com

BY AWARDING GRANT TO SUPPORT AFTER-SCHOOL STEM EDUCATION CAMPS

(AUSTIN) – Time Warner Cable, which has supported Girlstart’s STEM education for girls since 2011 through its Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) initiative, is extending that partnership through a grant to help fund the 2014-15 Girlstart After School programs.

The $10,000 grant will help support Girlstart’s expanding after-school program, expected to reach more than 1,000 Central Texas girls in the coming school year. This year, 45 schools in 12 Central Texas school districts will host Girlstart After School programs, compared to just 16 schools in five districts when Time Warner Cable first partnered with Girlstart five years ago.

“Time Warner Cable has been one of our most consistent corporate partners over the past five years, and we’re proud that they’re continuing that relationship through helping fund Girlstart After School,” said Tamara Hudgins, executive director of Girlstart. “This grant is helping us reach more girls than in any previous year, for a program that’s helping girls succeed in the classroom and, as we’ve recently discovered, on standardized tests.”

“We at Time Warner Cable are extremely proud of our partnership with Girlstart and the work we’ve done during these three years to inspire the next generation of young women innovators,” said Kathy Brabson, Area Vice President of Operations at Time Warner Cable. “Our Connect a Million Minds initiative has positioned our company in an important role to help solidify our commitment to the communities we serve.”

CAMM’s goal to connect one million young people to hands-on STEM learning opportunities and resources was reached on May 27. The milestone comes less than five years after President Obama and TWC announced this commitment in response to the White House’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign, which is designed to move American students from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade.

In the past year, Girlstart’s STEM education programming for girls has been lauded by Change the Equation (a nonprofit, nonpartisan, CEO-led initiative that is mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of STEM learning in the United States), invited to participate in the U.S. News STEM Solutions conference for its second straight year, and has reached its largest student audience in its history through its DeSTEMber online education program, in partnership with a number of prominent STEM-centric organizations across the nation, including the San Diego Zoo and The Franklin Institute.

Girlstart recently published a groundbreaking, externally-verified study – quoted in Afterschool Alliance’s just-released report on effective after-school programs — showing that a representative sample of its Girlstart After School students from two Austin-area school districts outperformed non-participant peers in 5th grade STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) math and science testing.

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.

About Time Warner Cable

Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) is among the largest providers of video, high‐speed data and voice services in the United States, connecting 15 million customers to entertainment, information and each other. Time Warner Cable Business Class offers data, video and voice services to businesses of all sizes, cell tower backhaul services to wireless carriers and, through its NaviSite subsidiary, managed and outsourced information technology solutions and cloud services. Time Warner Cable Media, the advertising arm of Time Warner Cable, offers national, regional and local companies innovative advertising solutions. More information about the services of Time Warner Cable is available at www.timewarnercable.com, www.twcbc.com, www.navisite.com, and www.twcmedia.com.

About Connect a Million Minds

Time Warner Cable’s (TWC) Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) is a five-year, $100 million cash and in-kind philanthropic initiative to address America’s declining proficiency in science, technology and math (STEM), which puts our children at risk of not competing successfully in a global economy. Using its media assets, TWC creates awareness of the issue and inspires students to develop the STEM skills they need to become the problem solvers of tomorrow. TWC’s national CAMM partners are CSAS (Coalition for Science After School) and FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Local TWC markets are activating CAMM across the country with community-specific programs and partnerships. To learn more about Connect a Million Minds, visit www.connectamillionminds.com.

TO BE RECOGNIZED AT GAME CHANGERS ANNUAL LUNCHEON ON OCT. 30

GIRLSTART ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL WOMEN IN STEM AWARD HONOREES, TO BE RECOGNIZED AT GAME CHANGERS ANNUAL LUNCHEON ON OCT. 30

(AUSTIN) – Girlstart has announced the recipients of its second annual Women in STEM Awards, honoring four women who have made significant impacts in their fields and communities utilizing their STEM education. The award recipients will be honored as part of Game Changers, Girlstart’s annual luncheon event, which takes place this year on Thursday, Oct. 30 at The Westin Austin at The Domain. This year’s keynote speaker will be social entrepreneur Jessica Shortall, who built out the “One for One” strategy as TOMS’ first Director of Giving.

Honorees include:

Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Director Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, who in 1991 became the world’s first Hispanic female astronaut and has logged more than 950 hours in space;

Dr. Marye Anne Fox, distinguished professor of chemistry at the University of California, San Diego and the university’s seventh chancellor, who in 2010 was presented with the National Medal of Science, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on scientists, engineers and inventors, by President Barack Obama;

Adriana (Andi) Karaboutis, Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer for Dell Inc., who has spent over 20 years in leadership positions at Fortune 500 Companies; and

Meg Wilson, senior lecturer at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin and fellow at IC2, has had a leading role in shaping Austin’s culture of entrepreneurship. Meg also wrote the book, Options for Girls: A Door to the Future, that inspired Girlstart’s founding.

“We’re excited to continue highlighting the ways that women make a difference through STEM,” said Tamara Hudgins, executive director of Girlstart. “This year’s Women in STEM show what’s possible for women and girls who dedicate themselves to pursuing STEM majors and careers. Girlstart girls–as well as our community of donors and friends–will learn from a diverse group of inspiring women who will encourage them to take on great challenges.”

Sponsorships are still available for Game Changers, and a limited number of individual tickets will be available starting in August. More information on the event, including more on the award honorees and a list of current sponsors, is online at www.girlstart.org/game-changers.

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.