The Maxar Better World Foundation has announced five new grant awards totaling $100,000 to support organizations that inspire the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) leaders. Together, the five grants will support more than 10,000 students across the U.S., providing them with access to hands-on STEM education and technical skills development opportunities.
The five grantees include:
Girls Who Code (GWC): GWC is an international nonprofit organization that aims to support and increase the number of women in computer science. Our $25,000 grant will fund GWC’s Clubs Program in Colorado, and afterschool computer science program focused on 3rd through 12th graders. The grant will go toward infusing artificial intelligence (AI) across the curriculum, supporting facilitators with additional resources, and rolling out a challenge focused on AI and sustainability.
High-Tech High Heels (HTHH): HTHH designs STEM experiences for young women in kindergarten through 12th grade. Our $25,000 grant will be used to purchase 800 Snap Circuits kits, which will be delivered to 2,500 middle school classrooms and Boys and Girls Clubs in Texas and Colorado. These kits give students hands-on experience building electronic circuits.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver: Our $25,000 grant will support 2025 STEM programming across Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver to help students develop technical skills, promote workforce readiness and support their overall academic performance. Maxar’s grant will support access to high-quality STEM programming for more than 7,000 young people, with more than 90% of those students coming from underserved communities.
Rosie Riveters Rosie Riveters provides STEM programming for girls from diverse backgrounds. The $15,000 Maxar Foundation grant will help support the Military Family Programs in Virginia and Florida. The Military Family Programs will provide 84 children with high-quality STEM education and employ up to six military spouses to help stabilize family experiences during relocations.
Black Girls Dive Foundation Black Girls Dive Foundation empowers young women to explore their STEM identity through marine science and conservation, and scuba diving. Our $10,000 grant will support the Shark Research and Conservation initiative, which in partnership with the Bimini Shark Research Center, provides underserved youth with the unique opportunity to conduct field studies with hammerhead sharks. Participants learn to use GIS systems to track shark migration patterns.
“It’s no secret that we need more people entering STEM fields—sectors like space and geospatial technology are growing at a rapid pace, and our need for talent is enormous,” said Laurie Korneffel, Maxar Better World Foundation Chair and General Counsel of Maxar Intelligence. “That’s why advancing STEM education is a core pillar of our grantmaking focus. We’re particularly focused on empowering young people in underserved communities where we operate—from Colorado to Virginia—and the five organizations that we’ve partnered with are doing incredible work in these communities.”
Since 2020, the Maxar Better World Foundation has supported organizations that improve the lives of individuals, embrace diversity and provide tools and opportunities needed to thrive. The foundation focuses its grantmaking around three core areas: advancing STEM education for underserved and diverse populations, helping veterans and active-duty military and their families, and supporting global disaster preparedness and relief.
Learn about the Maxar Better World Foundation and how it supports Maxar’s broader Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives here: https://maxar.com/sustainability/community-impact.