Invest in Education, Invest in Our Future

It’s no secret that education is a critical building block of every society. It “is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” according to Nelson Mandela. And at Emerson — where our business is creating solutions that solve global challenges, and our focus is on improving the communities where we live and work — we are driven to make an impact through education. That’s why we are proud to announce a new phase of charitable giving, with a pledge of $200 million over the next 10 years focused exclusively on education initiatives .?

Emerson and the Emerson Charitable Trust have donated almost $750 million in global charitable donations over the years. Education has long been a focus of our philanthropy, and through this new commitment, we are sharpening our focus to address a crisis impacting our communities — education inequity.

When I became CEO of Emerson just over a year ago, I vowed to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. I did this because I fully understand the value of creating space where everyone has the resources and opportunity to grow, thrive and belong. The bounds of this commitment extend far beyond Emerson’s walls. For me, this is personal. As someone who spent my childhood living in places around the world — and now am a father to 7-year-old twins — I’ve seen firsthand how equitable access to education impacts a person’s life.

So much of the foundation of a child’s future is laid in the early years. In fact, an analysis by The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution found that high-quality early childhood education leads to other long-term positive outcomes like completing higher levels of education, higher job earnings and better health. However, we know that students in communities across the country don’t all have equal access to quality early childhood education that will prepare them for high school or college.

In St. Louis, where Emerson’s world headquarters is located, only 15% of third graders in the city are reading at a proficiency level, according to The Opportunity Trust, an education advocacy organization. Studies show that a third-grade reading level is a powerful indicator of future success and even likelihood to graduate high school. We must do better — and with the right support, we can.

I believe both individuals and businesses can play a role in improving the education ecosystem, and in the process, invest in our communities and our future leaders. For the next 10 years, Emerson will be doing just that, by partnering with organizations that directly support early childhood education and student services in under-resourced communities.

To start, we’ll partner with two established organizations that are working to make positive impacts in in our hometown of St. Louis — the Urban League of Metropolitan Saint Louis and The Opportunity Trust . We will do our part to help ensure that our most disadvantaged communities have the support they need to bring up our next generation. And we’ll stay in close touch with organizations we support to see the impact of that investment.

As CEO of Emerson, I realize my young children have access to resources that many other children their age may not. This has to change. We must remove the burden our children are bearing due to educational inequities. The work has started, and we at Emerson will help ensure the work continues.