Education Public Policy
The top priority of our social investment strategy is education, and public policy engagement is a key element. We firmly believe that effective policies to bring all students to high achievement levels are the best way to invest in society's future. EMC Chairman, President, and CEO Joe Tucci has been a leader in education reform in the U.S. since 2000, and we are extending this work globally.
As a technology company, our primary interest and expertise lies in advancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education to build a highly trained and innovative workforce for the future. Our efforts are focused on strengthening educational systems and raising standards locally and globally.
Global Education Initiative
We are involved in education public policy work globally through the World Economic Forum's Global Education Initiative (GEI). The GEI forms partnerships between the public and private sectors to support relevant, sustainable, and scalable national education plans. In 2010, EMC and other leading companies explored approaches to integrating the recommendations from the GEI's Entrepreneurship Education Report into education systems worldwide.
Readiness Project
In 2007, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick asked Joe Tucci to co-chair the Massachusetts Readiness Project to improve education. Business, education, and community leaders collaborated and released a 10-year strategic plan. In 2010, a number of those recommendations were implemented through new legislation and work of the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE).
Public-private partnerships with higher education are a key recommendation of the Readiness Project. In 2010 EMC in partnership with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Massachusetts, Northeastern University, Boston University, and Cisco Systems, held the groundbreaking of a world-class high-performance computing center and collaborative research program in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Please see our Shared Value section for more information.
Charter Schools
We partner with other leading businesses and the Massachusetts Charter School Association to advocate for expanding charter schools, which can provide educational choice for families and potentially lead to new and innovative education practices. The U.S. Federal Race to the Top initiative increased the focus on this issue in Massachusetts. In early 2010, legislation passed that raised the cap on charter schools in the lowest performing school districts, a measure we strongly support.
A number of proven providers were granted licenses, leading to the anticipation of several new charter schools in the Bay State opening in upcoming years.
Tapping Massachusetts' Potential
We believe that STEM education is essential to maintaining a competitive edge in science and technology. The Governor's Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Advisor Council was announced in January 2010. EMC is a member and participates on the Diversity Subcommittee which presented its recommendations and a statewide plan at the STEM Summit in June 2010. The Advisory Council continues to work with national and local organizations to implement elements of the plan recommendations in 2011.