How Panasonic is Equipping Today’s Youth for the Future of Work

Education, mentorship, access, and equity are key when putting today’s generation in the driver’s seat towards the jobs of the future. From providing STEM/STEAM education to mentorship and career readiness programs, we believe public-private partnerships matter more today than ever in support of bridging the digital divide gap and providing educational equity, especially in communities of color. We recently invested over $200K in impact grants to the following organizations with educational programs that will help further Panasonic’s commitment to preparing young people for success in the global 21st century.

Per Scholas Newark

With IT roles staggeringly underrepresented by women and people of color, this impact grant supports the expansion of Per Scholas Newark to train and provide certificates to more individuals in IT Support, Software Engineering, AWS re/Start, and Cybersecurity. Panasonic is partnering with Per Scholas to open the door to tech careers to help advance economic equity by providing rigorous, tuition-free training for tech careers, and connecting diverse and skilled talent to leading companies and organizations. [Learn more]

Junior Achievement (Greater St. Louis)

Youth in the Greater St. Louis Junior Achievement program are getting exposure to role model volunteers in careers that align with their personal interests. Through the support of Panasonic’s impact grant, JA has built a resource library that serves as a database for students exploring future careers. Upon taking a career assessment, students are afforded access to a virtual Career Fair that connects 78 school districts to a variety of career speakers and allows them to explore a variety of career paths. [Learn more]

Newark Public Schools Black Men Rising Coalition (BMRC) and Latino Men Rising Coalition (LMRC)

Newark Public Schools Superintendent Roger León sought another way to create a pipeline of talented administrators and created The Black Men Rising and Latino Men Rising Coalition (BMRC + LMRC) program to guide and support male teachers of color as they navigate the path to leadership. The Panasonic impact grant supports the BMRC + LMRC initiatives to increase the representation of male teachers of color into school administration leadership roles. The program is designed into cohorts where the men receive mentorship and build a unique brotherhood as they go through the program tackling real-life problems and strategize to create solutions. [Learn more]

All Star Code

With only 20% of US high school graduates prepared for college-level coursework is STEM majors, Panasonic has invested in All Star Code to accelerate the path towards STEM proficiency. All Star Code is a coding school that creates economic opportunity for young men of color by supplying them with the tools they need to succeed in the innovation economy. Through Panasonic’s impact grant, students will have access to All Star Code’s flagship 6-week summer intensive program that delivers the equivalent of a one-year collegiate level computer science education. [Learn more] 

Newark Arts

At Panasonic we recognize the “A” for arts in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) education. The Panasonic impact grant to the Newark Arts is supporting youth programming at an after-school teen music production program at the brand-new Gant-Gilbert Arts Collective. This STEAM + Language Arts educational program will teach musical composition, audio engineering, and creative writing. Recording sessions will take place in a portable vocal booth where the students will create their own original songs. [Learn more] 

Newark Public Library

Furthering literacy is at the foundation of a student’s success. The jobs of the future require strong literacy skills and the Panasonic impact grant to the Newark Public Library supports the Newark Reads initiative, a city-wide partnership to address literacy in Newark, NJ.  In addition, the impact grant supports professional development for the Newark Public Library’s leadership team. [Learn more]

United Negro College Fund

Through the United Negro College Fund’s S.T.E.M. Programs and Initiatives including the STEM Scholars Program. Panasonic’s impact grant supports the UNCF STEM Scholars Program, an initiative designed to identify and provide scholarship and academic support for 500 talented African American high school students who aspire to earn STEM degrees and pursue careers in STEM fields. [Learn more]