Microsoft reaffirms commitment to close computer science education gap in Asia Pacific

29 organizations in Asia Pacific will receive a YouthSpark grant to bring computer science to young people in the region

SINGAPORE, 21 April 2016 — Today, Microsoft Philanthropies announced grants for over 100 nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in 55 markets, including 29 NPOs in Asia Pacific (APAC). The grants are a component of the $75 million commitment Microsoft made to increase access to computer science education around the world through Microsoft YouthSpark, as announced by Satya Nadella last year.

Microsoft is partnering with these nonprofits by providing cash grants, content and other resources they need to bring computational thinking and problem-solving skills to young people in local communities, important building blocks to help them succeed in today’s tech-fueled economy.

The markets covered in APAC are Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Some notable recipients of the YouthSpark grant from Microsoft Philanthropies include:

  • Shanghai Adream Charitable Foundation – China:
    Dedicated to promoting education in rural areas of China, the foundation will introduce a computer science education curriculum to its existing network of over 60 schools with support from Microsoft YouthSpark.
  • Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB) – Indonesia:

Besides providing local youth with opportunities to learn computing, the organization also creates educational apps to address solutions to social issues in their communities. Training is provided to teachers and staff in coding so they can raise their capacity in teaching computer science curriculum and concepts.

  • Coding for Accessibility – Philippines:
    A project by Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (ATRIEV) in the Philippines. The project will train blind and low-vision youth on computer science, beginning with computer literacy and culminating in a hackathon. There will also be training for staff to teach computer science to other blind students.
  • National Council for Child and Youth Development – Thailand:
    Youth at risk of human trafficking in the border areas of Thailand will receive IT and computer science education. 125 youth leaders will be trained, and over 1,600 youth in ten rural Thai provinces will undergo a three-day intensive training in advanced information and communication technology (ICT) and computer science.
  • Center for Education and Development – Vietnam:
    To encourage more young women to take up science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, this Vietnamese NPO will award scholarships to 80 female students and provide them with the necessary support to pursue careers within the ICT industry.

“Microsoft Philanthropies aims to empower non organizations that work with young people by providing them with three types of assets: our technology and solutions, our employees’ time and financial support. We hope that this combination helps them truly achieve more” said Dr. Daiana Beitler, Philanthropies lead, Microsoft Asia. “With grants from Microsoft YouthSpark, we hope that technology can truly become an enabler and level the playing field for underserved youth.”

Closing the computer science skills gap and reaching young people on a global scale is a multi-faceted challenge that cannot be solved by one organization or solution alone. Microsoft’s partnerships with nonprofit organizations mean that more young people around the world—particularly underserved communities, girls and ethnic and racially diverse populations-will have access to computer science education, helping build skills critical for future success.

A full list of APAC beneficiaries is appended below. For more information about YouthSpark and access to tools and resources, including free online tutorials and training, please visit http://YouthSparkHub.com and http://Microsoft.com/imagine.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

 

Appendix

Market Nonprofit organization
Australia Australian Business and Community Network
Australia Infoxchange
China China Guanghua Foundation
China Fuping Development Institute
China Shanghai Adream Charitable Foundation
Hong Kong Internet Learning Resource Centre Limited
India Nasscom Foundation
India Quest Alliance
India Smile Foundation
Indonesia Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB)
Indonesia Junior Achievement Indonesia
Japan Canvas
Japan Sodateage – Net
South Korea Ja Korea
South Korea Midam Scholarship Foundation
Malaysia Persatuan Kebajikan Generasi Gemilang
New Zealand High Tech Youth Network
New Zealand Pam Fergusson Charitable Trust
Philippines Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired
Philippines Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation Inc.
Sri Lanka Sarvodaya-Fusion
Taiwan Eden Social Welfare Foundation
Taiwan Information Society Promotion Association
Thailand Changefusion
Thailand National Council for Child and Youth Development
Vietnam Center for Education & Development
Vietnam Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Vietnam Vietnet Information Technology and Communication Center
Vietnam Kenan Institute Asia

 

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