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| HP Director for State and Local Government Cathy Martin and former NBA star Earvin "Magic" Johnson open the 15th Magic Johnson-HP Inventor Center in Bladensburg, Md. |
Celebrity and technology are both powerful forces, and a partnership between the two can overcome seemingly insurmountable barriers.
That is the hope of Hewlett-Packard Company executives and the Magic Johnson Foundation -- an organization headed by NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson -- who are pooling resources to bring technology training centers to underserved minority communities. Their newest "Inventor Center" opened recently in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Bladensburg, Md.
Each center gets about $200,000 worth of software, hardware, and training from HP. The Bladensburg center will be open during the day for adults and after-school for youngsters, many of whom use computers at school but have none at home. Some 15 Magic Johnson/HP Inventor Centers now operate in 11 cities.
After cutting the ribbon in Bladensburg and signing basketballs and posing for pictures with his fans, Johnson told USBE&IT that funding the centers is one way he gives back to the community.
"People helped me when I was coming up," he said. "If our kids don't have a chance to learn to work on [computers], they will be lost. They won't get the good jobs and won't keep up with their peers."
Johnson still exudes the enthusiasm that he once showed on the court.
"We're giving urban Americans the best of the best computers," he said. "My hope for the kids is that they will understand computers are part of their life, and it will open doors to them."
At the opening, HP's Cathy Martin, director of state and local government, explained the company's vision.
"One of HP's strategies for supporting grant recipients, beyond awarding cash or equipment grants, is to partner with key nonprofits that share our goals for closing the academic achievement gap and the Digital Divide...." she said. "The Magic Johnson Foundation is committed to meeting the needs and demands of underserved urban communities and being an economic stimulus within these communities."
Bess McDowell Stevens, HP's vice president of corporate philanthropy and education, has been instrumental in developing programs to provide technology to society's have-nots. In 1999, she won a Black Engineer of the Year Award for Corporate Promotion of Education. Now, she is in a position to build on the programs she earlier initiated.
"Magic Johnson is a positive role model for kids, and this allows his foundation and HP to work together to bridge the Digital Divide in these communities," Stevens says.
The Magic Johnson partnership is just one of HP's "e-inclusion" programs, which employ "HP's vision for the future where technology is accessible to everyone in the world," Stevens says. Another HP initiative, the "Digital Villages," builds technology access in places such as Baltimore, Md.; San Diego, Calif.; Ghana; South Africa; and France (http://grants.hp.com/us/digitalvillage).
HP also supports K-12 education through programs designed to improve teacher training, enhance student success in math and science, and increase minority interest in high-tech careers. And HP's "microenterprise development initiative" helps entrepreneurs start and operate new businesses.
These efforts require a considerable investment of time and money. The Magic Johnson Foundation has raised more than $20 million for charity and educational activities since its 1991 establishment. Over the past 20 years, HP has contributed more than $1 billion in cash and equipment to schools, universities, community groups, and other not-for-profit organizations.
