IBM Foundation Receives the 2018 Education Commission of the States Corporate Award

The next successful chapter of American education calls on all of us --- educators, business, government, parents, and students to step up. Our next generation of leaders are relying on our country’s private, public, and non-profit sectors to collaboratively drive the changes American education so desperately needs.

That’s why the IBM Foundation was honored to receive the 2018 Education Commission of the States Corporate Award yesterday for its commitment to advancing public education in communities across the country. The Education Commission of the States Corporate Award is the golden standard for organizations working to improve public education, which is why rightful credit should also go to our partners, too.

Two of our IBM Foundation programs focusing on education and New Collar Jobs — Teacher Advisor with Watson and the P-TECH education model — were noted in the announcement. These two programs demonstrate the power of cross-sector teamwork to enhance teacher quality and improve student outcomes, ultimately leading to more economic success.

For educators, we created Teacher Advisor with Watson. This is the first free, web-based tool built by and for teachers using our artificial intelligence capabilities to personalize planning and instruction in K-5 math, and will soon be offered for K-8 math by August 2018. Teachers receive confidential access to vetted lesson plans and professional development resources to help save them time in planning quality lessons for all types of students, especially for those with learning disabilities.

Meanwhile, for students, IBM Foundation founded and continues to steward the P-TECH education model, which aligns education to labor market needs. The model which has already been adopted in eight U.S. states helps fill the many vacant career or college ready jobs requiring certain skills. The main design of P-TECH schools is to provide underserved students with a high school diploma and free, two-year degree that is STEM-focused and useful for multiple industries.

Read these timely stories from Reuters TV and Workforce Magazine about how 120 P-TECH schools across the U.S. and around the world are closing the New Collar skills gap, driving diversity in STEM study and careers, and opening new worlds to a generation hungry to contribute and succeed.

We’re also looking forward to watching some of our P-TECH students graduate tomorrow at Norwalk Community College in Connecticut– a partner institutions to IBM’s Norwalk Early College Academy (NECA) and Excelsior Academy (Excelsior P-TECH) programs.

Each graduate has been the beneficiary of one-on-one IBM mentorship and paid internships – hallmarks of the P-TECH program. With encouragement and support, each graduate has excelled academically, even though none were pre-tested for admission. Ahead of each graduate lies an open field of opportunity that includes four-year college study, New Collar employment with IBM or other companies, or both.

It is certainly a huge honor for IBM to receive the Education Commission of the States Corporate Award, but to see P-TECH students graduate and receive acknowledgement that our model is succeeding, is more important.

To all the organizations and businesses who have worked tirelessly to make Teacher Advisor and P-TECH a success, we hope you take a bow and relish in the public recognition of how together, we’re making a collaborative, sustained commitment to improving public education.

Thank you again to our partners, clients, and colleagues who helped make these programs a success. We look forward to receiving the award at the 2018 National Forum on Education Policy, taking place June 27-29, 2018 in Washington, D.C.

Jennifer Ryan Crozier is President of the IBM Foundation and Vice President of IBM Citizenship. Follow her on Twitter: @JenCrozier