Press Release: CHICAGO TECH ACADEMY RECEIVES PAYPAL GRANT FOR TECH CERTIFICATIONS PROGRAM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chicago, IL, February 3, 2017 –Chicago Tech Academy, an organization committed to inspiring, educating, and connecting the next generation of tech and entrepreneur leaders, announced today that it has been awarded a $3,500 grant from the PayPal Gives Corporate Advised Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The grant was recommended by PayPal’s employee-volunteer led Chicago GIVE Team, and it will be used to provide qualified ChiTech students with the opportunity to apply for tech certifications to advance aptitude in subject matter, internship, college, and career preparation.
“Chicago Tech is honored to receive funding support for qualified students to sit for tech certifications,” said Kelly Jones, Executive Director, Corporate Engagement of Chicago Tech Academy. “While our program is built on innovative project-based learning and real-world learning experiences, we know that for many students receiving a tech certification will make for a more robust college application, resume, and future job opportunities. It is one more way for ChiTech to continue increasing the number of students pursuing careers in the tech industry and providing the tech community with a sorely needed pipeline to a qualified, diverse pool of talent.”
The Tech Certification project was made possible through PayPal’s GIVE Team program, which empowers global employees to support the communities in which they live and work through volunteerism and employee-sponsored grants. With more than 25 GIVE Teams worldwide, employees recommend more than $600,000 in grants each year, which are then distributed to benefiting organizations through the PayPal Gives Corporate Advised Fund.
“PayPal Gives was established to further the positive social impact we seek to have as a company and to actively contribute to the betterment of our communities,” said Julie Vennewitz-Pierce, Senior Manager of Global Philanthropy & Employee Engagement at PayPal. “We’re proud to support a wide variety of programs around the world, each of which helps build stronger, more inclusive communities that enable greater opportunity for individuals and families. Chicago Tech Academy is a great example of this effort, and we’re pleased to support their work.”
ABOUT CHICAGO TECH ACADEMY
Chicago Tech Academy (ChiTech), a non-profit, 4-year contract school located in University Village, was founded to inspire, educate and connect a diverse next generation of technology leaders. ChiTech seeks to increase the number of minority and low-income students that pursue science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in college and careers. Visit us: www.chitech.org.
ABOUT PAYPAL
At PayPal, we put people at the center of everything we do. Founded in 1998, we continue to be at the forefront of the digital payments revolution. Last year we processed 4 billion payments, of which 1 billion were made on mobile devices. PayPal gives people better ways to connect to their money and to each other, helping them safely access and move their money and offering a choice of how they would like to pay or be paid. With more than 170 million active customer accounts, we have created an open and secure payments ecosystem that people and businesses choose to securely transact with each other online, in stores and on mobile devices. PayPal is a truly global payments platform that is available to people in 203 markets, allowing customers to get paid in more than 100 currencies, withdraw funds to their bank accounts in 57 currencies and hold balances in their PayPal accounts in 26 currencies. For more information on PayPal, visit about.paypal-corp.com.
ABOUT PAYPAL GIVES
Connecting and empowering people are at the heart of PayPal’s purpose. Every year we connect millions of donors with easy ways to support the cause they’re passionate about through the PayPal Giving Fund. We also empower charities with world-class tools to boost their own fundraising. We’re creating a global fundraising platform that inspires and enables everyone to take action. PayPal Gives supports and amplifies PayPal employees’ efforts to better their community through charitable giving, volunteering and fundraising. Funded by corporate contributions, it is one of the ways PayPal steps forward to further our social impact objectives and actively support our communities. PayPal GIVE Team grants are awarded by the PayPal Gives Corporate Advised Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
CONTACT:
Chicago Tech Academy
Ms. Kelly Jones – kjones@chicagotechacademy.org
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