CompTIA, the voice of the world's information technology industry, will donate $150,000 to the Academy for Advanced Technology, a new Chicago public high school "pioneering the college- and career-prep approach to education" for the city's "underserved youth." The grant aims to help build what CompTIA President and Chief Executive Officer Todd Thibodeaux calls the "next generation of Midwest business and technology leaders."
"It takes more than a traditional education to create 21st century leaders," Thibodeaux said. "The Chicago Academy for Advanced Technology combines talented personnel, industry partnerships, and research-driven instructional strategies to prepare students for leadership in college and beyond."
As the world's preeminent advocacy organization for the IT industry, Thibodeaux said supporting tech education at the high school level is a natural extension of CompTIA's "dedication to advancing industry growth."
Thibodeaux added that, as a technology organization headquartered in the Chicago area, donating to a school on the city's economically disadvantaged west side also is a natural choice for CompTIA. "We will lead the way for our industry, helping transform the lives of students who lack socioeconomic advantages, starting right here in our own backyard," he said.
In giving the grant, Thibodeaux said CompTIA is challenging the leadership of other IT organizations, including the manufacturers, distributors, resellers and educational institutions that make up the non-profit trade association's membership, to invest money and resources in a cause with a "guaranteed return."
"By fostering collaboration between progressive high-school educators and business leaders, we can create a workforce development system that ensures the economic well-being of its graduates and the competitive future of its employers," said Thibodeaux.
In addition to its cash donation, CompTIA is arranging for technology manufacturers and publishers of technical certifications to donate employee time, computing equipment and instructional materials.
Terry Howerton, chairman of the Board of the Illinois Technology Association (ITA) and co-chairman of the Chicago Academy for Advanced Technology, lauded CompTIA for its generosity and leadership.
"CompTIA is serving as a mentor to the local tech industry and business community as a whole," said Howerton, whose association is developing a mentorship program for Chicago Tech that will include volunteers from entrepreneurial organizations across the region.
"Innovators are the driving force in our economy," according to Matt Hancock, executive director of the academy's non-profit operator. "Chi Tech students learn to think critically and solve problems with technology, which is the very essence of innovation."
Hancock emphasized that Chi Tech's curriculum is "much more than core computing skills for working with software, hardware and networking."
"We challenge our students to dream big and think like entrepreneurs," Hancock said.
CompTIA is the voice of the world's information technology industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy.
For more information, visit www.comptia.org or follow CompTIA on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/comptia
