KLA Corporation (NASDAQ: KLAC) today announced the KLA Foundation recently distributed more than $1 million in grants and donations to support social equity, access, and education with an emphasis in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in the Bay Area and Southeast Michigan this December. Through its long history of supporting community-level organizations, this is the first time the Foundation has made a single investment of this magnitude and impact. The grantees reflect a combination of ongoing strategic partners and first-time recipients selected after a competitive request for proposal (RFP) and online application process.
Highlights of grants distributed to support efforts in the Bay Area and Southeast Michigan include:
- Facing History and Ourselves—supporting the delivery of lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate.
- City Year—supporting teams of AmeriCorps volunteers working in schools to prepare students with the social, emotional and academic skills and mindsets to succeed in education and in life.
- SEMI Foundation—supporting the outreach and engagement of students in online and hands-on STEM education experiences, High Tech U programming and the distribution of STEM kits.
“It is an honor and privilege to stand alongside the communities where we live and do business. We proudly join hands with this year’s inspiring recipients on our mission to create a more equitable, inclusive and accessible world together,” said Jen Shea, executive director of the KLA Foundation. “We can’t imagine a more worthwhile investment than supporting educational opportunities that will help improve education equity, foster a lifelong passion for learning, and inspire the next generation to pursue STEM career opportunities.”
The KLA Foundation Grants Program supports the Foundation’s longstanding pillars of focus: education, health and wellness, and community engagement, and aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10. The latest investment in the U.S. is part of the more than $4 million global investment made in 2022. This year’s distributions span 13 countries, which include supporting organizations working to advance K-12 STEM education, including: FEST (Korea), Science is Elementary (U.S. and U.K.), Shavot Female Leadership (Israel), and Techniquest (U.K.), among others.
Established in 2000, the KLA Foundation supports a range of charitable initiatives with funding and volunteer opportunities. With a goal of improving lives where KLA employees work and live through grants, matching gifts for employee contributions, and volunteerism, the Foundation strives to make a positive and lasting difference in people’s lives and encourages others to take action.