Abu Dhabi, UAE - We invest in the communities we serve. CH2M Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the global engineering firm CH2M, has announced a second annual partnership with the Emirates Foundation, the organization set up by the Government of Abu Dhabi to improve the welfare of youth across the UAE and GCC region.
At a signing ceremony held today at Emirates Foundation Offices in Abu Dhabi, CH2M's Mark Fallon, President for Global Regions and Clare Woodcraft-Scott, Chief Executive Officer of the Emirates Foundation, announced the extension of the successful collaboration between the two organizations.
CH2M Foundation will support the Emirates Foundation's STEM education program, Think Science, with a grant of $100,000 (AED 376,294) in 2016.
Mark Fallon, CH2M's President for Global Regions, said: "As a business operating in the UAE, we understand that we have the power to create social value in the country.
"Empowering and inspiring Emirati youth to consider engineering and other science-related career paths is one of best ways that we can create a lasting impact in the community. Our partnership with the excellent Emirates Foundation strengthens CH2M's core value of creating societies that are better equipped for today and tomorrow and cultivating the next generation of technical talent."
Mohanna Al Muhairi, Emirates Foundation's Chief Operating Officer said, "We are pleased that CH2M have elected to extend their partnership with Emirates Foundation. This gesture testifies to CH2M's strong commitment to supporting our annual plan to embrace and develop the potential of youth. It also demonstrates the success of our approach to engage business partners in supporting our endeavours to make STEM education a deeply entrenched culture.
"Think Science is a key part of our mission to deliver a positive and sustainable impact on the lives of Emirati youth. Through this initiative we aim to guide, empower and inspire, youth across the UAE, providing them with opportunities to further develop their knowledge and analytical thinking, and enabling them to become active participants in finding groundbreaking solutions to local and global technological issues."
This second year of partnership between CH2M and the Emirates Foundation builds on a great pioneering year in 2015 when the two organizations worked together on the Think Science program. This initiative empowers Emirati Youth to innovate in all fields of science and serves as a platform for youth and industry to connect and develop local talent.
Last year, over 400 participants, mostly local school students, visited the CH2M pavilion at the Think Science Fair to meet our engineers and learnt more about a career in engineering.
Think Science is made up of 3 core projects. Think Science Competition is a nationwide science competition that engages UAE youth ages 15-24 years old to develop, design and build science-based innovations that respond to society's most pressing needs; Think Science Ambassadors are the change-makers that inspire, encourage and nurture the scientific work of UAE youth to guide them into cultivating innovative ideas that build the bridge between society and the academic world; and Think Science Connect is a platform that links youth interested in science, with young Science Ambassadors and scientific leaders in an interactive and engaging environment.
CH2M has a long history of helping local communities build a sustainable future. The firm works with local partners to expand science and engineering programs that inspire local youth to pursue STEM education and related career paths. CH2M has provided scholarships and research grants, established entrepreneurship courses for the business program, and has provided internship opportunities to many aspiring students around the globe.
The continued partnership with Emirates Foundation further demonstrates the firm's commitment to the communities it serves and in particular to expanding local science and engineering programming towards a sustainable future.
The CH2M Foundation supports programs that are sustainable, scalable, replicable, and that provide meaningful opportunities for employee engagement. Thus, our commitment is centered on three focus areas including STEM education, sustainable communities and employee engagement.
About Emirates Foundation
Emirates Foundation was launched in April 2005 as an initiative of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. It is chaired by HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
In 2012, the Emirates Foundation was re-launched under the name "Emirates Foundation for Youth Development" as an integrated national initiative that seeks to invest in UAE youth. The new strategy uses the model venture philanthropy with a view to impacting the lives of young people in the UAE positively and permanently. To achieve this, the Foundation will work in three key focus areas: social inclusion; community engagement; and leadership and empowerment. It will seek to identify, educate and inform the public about challenges facing UAE youth while developing sustainable, enterprise-based solutions to social issues and motivating young Emiratis to volunteer, participate and give back to society.
Emirates Foundation works to enhance partnerships between private and public sectors, in order to develop sustainable ways of helping young people in the UAE make an active contribution to the country's development. EF is funded through contributions from the Abu Dhabi government and private sector companies.
For more information on Emirates Foundation, please contact:
Samar Abdulhadi
samar@inspirat.us
+971504546313
Contact:
Raeda Al Sarayreh
Director of Strategy & Corporate Affairs (MENA & India)
+ 971 4 373 0398
raeda@alsarayreh@ch2m.com
CH2M is a global engineering company partnering with public and private clients to tackle the world's most complex infrastructure and natural resource challenges. The firm's work is concentrated in the water, transportation, energy, environment and industrial markets.
The firm first started working in the Middle East in 1976 and has since grown to 18 offices and over 2400 employees. CH2M HILL is working on some of the most iconic infrastructure programs in the region including the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup™, the Riyadh Public Transport Program, Expo 2020 Dubai and the Abu Dhabi Shah Gas Development.
Visit us at ch2m.com, twitter.com/ch2m and facebook.com/ch2m. Search for jobs at www.ch2m.com/careers
© Press Release 2016
