Microsoft on Thursday unveiled its newest philanthropic program, Microsoft YouthSpark, which aims to give 300 million youth in more than 100 countries opportunities that would otherwise be elusive to them without help.
According to the software giant, the Microsoft YouthSpark program will include giving youth opportunities in education, employment and entrepreneurship.
To fund the initiative, Microsoft will be spending about $500 million in three years time for the project.
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, said in a statement that “Through Microsoft YouthSpark we are making a commitment to help 300 million young people around the world achieve their dreams by focusing our citizenship efforts and other company resources on connecting young people with opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship. We believe that working with our partners we can help empower young people to change their world, and we are committed to using our technology, talent, time and resources to do that.”
According to Microsoft, the Microsoft YouthSpark program means that it will dedicate the majority of its cash contributions to nonprofits that serve the youth population around the world.
Furthermore, the Redmond, Washington-based tech veteran says that the new initiative include Office 365 for education, free technology tools for all teachers and students to power learning and collaboration, and Skype in the classroom to help teachers and students around the world collaborate.
Microsoft acquired Skype recently for $8.5 billion and the company is now a division of the software powerhouse.
Microsoft YouthSpark: Eliminating The “Opportunity Divide”
Citing an International Youth Foundation Opportunity for Action report, Microsoft says that 75 million young people who could have jobs have none in 2011.
With the population having over 2.2 billion people between the ages of 6 and 24 today, Microsoft says that the “opportunity divide” is expanding.
“Our next generation of citizenship will focus on the next generation of people,” Microsoft’s Brad Smith said in a statement. “The global unemployment rate for workers younger than 25 is 12.7 percent, which is double the rate for the world as a whole.”
“This is indicative of a growing opportunity divide between young people who have the access, skills and opportunities to be successful and those who do not,” he said.
“We must work together to close the opportunity divide for youth and help secure the future of this generation and the future of our global economy,” the Microsoft Executive Vice President and General Counsel added.
Microsoft YouthSpark: A Part Of Redmond’s Broader Corporate Citizenship Program
Microsoft envisions the Microsoft YouthSpark program as an umbrella program for all its global programs for in corporate citizenship.
For example, the company already has the following programs under Microsoft YouthSpark initiative:
“• Partners in Learning. A professional development program for government officials, school leaders and educators to help them with new approaches to teaching and learning, using technology to help students develop 21st century skills.• Microsoft IT Academy. A career-ready education program available to all accredited academic institutions, providing students with 21st century technology.• DreamSpark. Free access to Microsoft designer and developer tools for students and educators, helping advance key technical skills during the high school and college years, a critical time in a student’s development.• Imagine Cup. The world’s premier youth technology competition, which challenges students to apply their knowledge and passion to develop technical solutions for social impact, to develop engaging games, and to demonstrate innovation that can benefit others, local communities and the world.• Students to Business. A program that matches university students with jobs or internships in the technology industry.• BizSpark. A software startup program, providing young entrepreneurs with access to Microsoft software development tools and connections with key industry players, including investors, to help them start a new business.”
Microsoft also unveiled together with its announcement of YouthSpark the following new citizenship programs:
“• Give for Youth, a global microgiving marketplace focused on raising funds for nonprofits that support youth causes around the world.• Microsoft YouthSpark Hub, an online space where people can explore and access all the youth services, programs and resources provided by Microsoft and its nonprofit partners.• Microsoft Innovate for Good, a global online community enabling youth to collaborate, inspire and support one another while using technology to make a difference in their communities.”
A full list of Microsoft YouthSpark programs can be seen at the initiative’s online portal launched by Microsoft.
Full list of programs YouthSpark from Microsoft is available on the website YouthSpark Hub
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