Raytheon Supports New Centers of Innovation For Military Youth At Boys & Girls Clubs

ABERDEEN, Md., Dec. 9, 2015 /3BL Media/ – Thanks to a unique partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and CBS EcoMedia’s EducationAd program, Raytheon is contributing to the creation of six Centers of Innovation at Boys & Girls Clubs-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations and at Clubs that support military families.

The centers will be fully outfitted with modern technology, and will offer full-time expert mentors to lead Club members in projects that apply the principles of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).  Club members will use technology such as 3-D printers, high-definition video conferencing and other tools to brainstorm ideas and collaborate on community improvement projects.

The centers are being funded through Raytheon’s $5 million, multi-year commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, part of Raytheon’s recent $10 million pledge to support military veterans and their families, as well as through Raytheon’s participation in CBS EcoMedia’s EducationAd program.

Additional centers will be opened across the United States and internationally over the next four years.

To celebrate Raytheon’s support of Centers of Innovation, an All STEM Day and Family Open House event was held today at the Aberdeen Boys and Girls Club in Harford County, Md., the first location to open one of these world-class facilities. Hosts of the event included Pamela Erickson, Vice President Corporate Affairs, Raytheon Company; Tim Wills, Executive Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County; and Kimberly Boyd, National Vice President, Program, Training & Youth Development Services, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Raytheon employees and military families spent the afternoon participating in STEM demonstration activities with kids and teens at the Club.

“The men and women who serve this country have sacrificed much for our safety and freedom, and it is our responsibility to help their families achieve great futures,” said Tom Kennedy, Raytheon Chairman and CEO. “Today’s military child should be supported as they pursue a college degree, embark on a robust career or choose to serve their country. The Centers of Innovation are designed to foster critical thinking and problem solving skills that will serve military children in all their pursuits while exposing them to experiences that will inspire the innovations of our future.”

“We are so thrilled to be selected as one of the first sites for the new Centers of Innovation, and we can’t wait to see how this facility will positively impact the military youth we serve,” said Tim Wills, Executive Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County. “All kids and teens deserve great futures, and the Centers of Innovation will help keep our youth on track scholastically and personally as they navigate the unique life of a military child.”

 “America’s future depends on the ingenuity of our youth,” said Paul Polizzotto, President and Founder of CBS EcoMedia. “Raytheon’s support of the exciting new Centers of Innovation at the Boys & Girls Clubs will give children from military families the critical science, math, problem-solving and creative thinking skills they need to succeed in and contribute to our increasingly technological world. It’s a privilege and an honor to support the families of our service men and women, whose sacrifices so often go unrecognized.”

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2014 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 93 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cybersecurity and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,100 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at http://www.bgca.org/facebook and http://bgca.org/twitter.

About CBS EcoMedia Inc.

EcoMedia was founded in 2002 by social entrepreneur Paul Polizzotto. The company’s mission is to harness the power of the advertising dollar to make tangible, quality of life improvements in communities nationwide. In 2010, after successfully partnering on a wide range of environmental projects, EcoMedia was acquired by CBS Corporation, exponentially scaling its reach across television, radio, interactive, and publishing media. 

Through EcoMedia’s patent-pending EducationAd, WellnessAd, EcoAd, and Viewers to Volunteers advertising programs, national brands and local businesses provide millions of dollars in financial support to some of the nation’s most effective nonprofit organizations, funding critical veterans, education, wellness, and environmental projects nationwide. 

EcoMedia’s innovative and proprietary business model has fundamentally altered the advertising and nonprofit landscapes, elevating the ordinary, traditional commercial – and media, in general – into a catalyst for tangible, quantifiable social change.

EcoMedia has earned numerous awards and recognitions for its work, including the U.S. Conference of Mayors Award for Excellence in Public Private Partnerships (2009), Edison Awards for Social Innovation and Social Impact (2012, 2013), and the Starlight Children's Foundation's “General H. Norman Schwarzkopf Leadership Award,” which honors individual and organizational leaders who are doing extraordinary work to advance the common good and strengthen their communities.  

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By participating in EcoMedia’s EcoAd, WellnessAd, EducationAd, and Viewers to Volunteers advertising programs, EcoMedia’s advertisers agree to provide funding for projects we believe will have a beneficial effect upon the environment, health and/or education within local communities. EcoMedia’s advertising programs are not certification programs nor are the EcoAd, WellnessAd or EducationAd logos seals of approval. EcoMedia does not in any way certify, endorse or make any representations about EcoMedia program advertisers, their products or services.

Press Contact:

Theresa Schieber

Theresa.schieber@ecomediacbs.com

212-975-3471