WC receives $10K STEM grant from Verizon

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Local high school students will have access to information and counseling about careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) thanks to a new partnership between Verizon and Weatherford College. The partnership, supported by a $10,000 Verizon grant to the WC Foundation, aims to leverage the benefits of Verizon’s commitment to STEM education with a Weatherford College program to help secondary students learn about college and career readiness.

“The WC Foundation is extremely grateful for Verizon’s partnership in this program to assist local students in STEM education,” explained State Representative Phil King, WC Foundation Board member, “With their help this program will go along way toward finding students that may not otherwise know about all of the opportunities that are available to them.”

The Verizon grant will support WC’s Talent Search program, which engages more than 500 secondary students from academically and economically challenged backgrounds in a six-county area.

“The future is bright in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math,” said John Turntine, WC’s Talent Search program director. “This grant will help our students see how important those fields are, and how they can use those skills to succeed.”

The program will include career day events and face-to-face meetings with engineers, scientists and other STEM professionals.

“Over the past 10 years, STEM jobs have grown three times faster than other jobs,” said Frank Antonacci, region president of Verizon Wireless. “Verizon is committed to ensuring that tomorrow’s workforce is prepared to meet the growing demand of jobs needing skills from STEM education. Our partnership with Weatherford College helps to make that happen.”

The funds will also support WC’s “The Time is Now for Your College” fundraising efforts, which have topped $1.1 million to date.

A partnership between Weatherford College and Verizon will promote STEM careers to local high school students. Celebrating that partnership recently at WC were (pictured, left to right) Rep. Phil King, a member of the Weatherford College Foundation Board of Directors; John Turntine, WC’s Talent Search director; Barbara Walker, director of external affairs for Verizon; Sherry Knuth, manager of government sales for Verizon Wireless; and Robin Hendrickson, government account executive for Verizon Wireless.