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Boeing Joins NMSI in Expanding Initiative for Military Families

Dépèche transmise le 30 avril 2012 par Business Wire

Boeing Joins NMSI in Expanding Initiative for Military Families

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) and The Boeing Company are joining forces for a major expansion of the Initiative for Military Families (IMF), which provides college-level courses in math, science and English for students from military families.

“The Initiative for Military Families will help prepare students for future success by creating learning opportunities that are the foundation of creative problem-solving and continued innovation.”

The Boeing support will mean that NMSI’s highly-successful Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP) can be expanded to four new schools serving high concentrations of military families in 2012.

The Boeing support was spotlighted at a special event Monday (April 30) at the Harford County School District headquarters in Bel Air, Md.

“Boeing’s support will provide exciting new opportunities for students who have sacrificed while their parents have been serving our country,” said Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, President and CEO of NMSI. “This program will help them become proficient in the math and science subjects that are so increasingly critical for their future careers -- and for the future of this country.”

The overall goal of IMF is to support children in America’s military families by providing consistent, quality coursework through NMSI’s Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP). The IMF was launched in 2010 in four school sites, two near Fort Campbell in Kentucky and two near Fort Hood in Texas, and was expanded in fall 2011 to a total of 29 high schools in 10 states that are serving high concentrations of students from military families.

Boeing is sponsoring the expansion of the program in 2012 to schools in four states: Fairborn High School in Ohio (Wright Patterson Air Force Base), Lawton High School in Oklahoma (Fort Sill), Kellam High School in Virginia Beach (Langley Air Force Base, Fort Monroe, Naval Station Norfolk) and Aberdeen High School in Harford County, Maryland (Aberdeen Proving Ground).

“We are deeply committed to supporting military personnel, veterans and their families,” said Lianne Stein, vice president for Global Corporate Citizenship at Boeing. “The Initiative for Military Families will help prepare students for future success by creating learning opportunities that are the foundation of creative problem-solving and continued innovation.”

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is providing funding for a school serving the military population in Harford County, Maryland, Havre De Grace High School. In addition, DoDEA is supporting the expansion of the IMF program to a total of 24 schools serving military families in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Illinois, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.

“We are very proud to be part of a program that is offering military-connected students opportunities to expand their knowledge and experience in the important areas of science, math and English,” said DoDEA Director Marilee Fitzgerald. “Military families make many sacrifices as they serve our country, and it’s important to ensure their children have every opportunity to excel. Access to Advanced Placement math and science courses provides consistency and quality curriculum -- this is critically important since the challenges of frequent transitions can hinder advancement for some students.”

The APTIP is already producing results in participating IMF schools: In the first year, the AP math, science and English qualifying scores increased 45 percent -- almost six times the national average.

“APTIP is equipping our students from military families to compete on the global stage,” said Gregg Fleisher, the National Director of APTIP for NMSI. He pointed out that research indicates that students passing AP courses in high school are three times more likely to complete a college degree. Further, AP students are among the few American students who compare favorably with their counterparts in other countries on internationally ranked math and science exams.

Almost two million young people in America have a parent serving in the military today. More than 220,000 of those young people have at least one parent deployed overseas. The long separations, concerns about safety, and frequent transfers can be particularly hard on the children whose parents protect our country.

Because the AP curriculum is uniform across the country, the IMF provides excellence and continuity for students whenever and wherever their families are transferred. While the IMF focus is on schools near military installations, all the students in participating schools can benefit from the program.

Generous inaugural funding to launch the IMF in 2010 was provided by Lockheed Martin Corporation. Major funding to add high schools is being provided by the Army Education Outreach Program, BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), the Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and Northrop Grumman.

With additional funding, it is anticipated the IMF can be expanded to 150 public high schools, ensuring that a very high percentage of military families will be served.

About The Boeing Company: Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial airplanes and defense, space and security systems. The top U.S. exporter, Boeing supports airlines and U.S. and allied government customers in more than 150 countries. Boeing products and tailored services include commercial and military aircraft, satellites, weapons, electronic and defense systems, launch systems, advanced information and communication systems, and performance-based logistics and training.

About the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA): DoDEA's mission is to plan, direct, coordinate, and manage education programs for eligible dependents of U.S. military personnel and civilian personnel of the Department of Defense. DoDEA schools provide students with a uniform curriculum and standards that mitigate the stress of frequent moves. DoDEA promotes quality education, seamless transitions, and deployment support through its Educational Partnership. The Education Partnership program works collaboratively with the Department of Education in efforts to ease the transition of military children and by providing resources to non-DoDEA schools that educate military children.

About APTIP: APTIP dramatically increases the performance of high school students in rigorous AP courses in math, science and English. The comprehensive approach includes intensive teacher training, support from master teachers, increased time on task for students in special study sessions, open enrollment, and incentives for teachers and students. Passing AP exam scores are almost universally accepted for course credit by the nation’s colleges and universities, which see success in AP courses as reliable indicators of students’ subject-area knowledge and capacity for college-level thinking.

About NMSI: NMSI is an agent of change that was launched in 2007 by top leaders in business, education and science to improve student achievement in math and science across the American public school system. NMSI’s mission is to bring best practices to the education sector by replicating proven programs on a national scale that have more than 10 years of proven results. NMSI has received major funding support for its groundbreaking national initiatives from Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, with additional support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more information, visit www.nationalmathandscience.org.

*AP and Advanced Placement Program are registered trademarks of the College Board.