Bosch Awards More Than $117,600 to Educational Organizations in Anderson, South Carolina

Today, the Bosch Community Fund (BCF) announced it has awarded more than $117,600 to seven organizations in Anderson, South Carolina, thereby continuing its mission to prepare the workforce of the future for careers in STEM-related fields.

Since 2013, the BCF has awarded nearly $415,000 STEM and environmental sustainability grants in the Anderson community. “The associates at the Bosch Anderson facility feel part of the Anderson community” According to Randy Bunch, director of human resources at the Bosch Anderson site: “We are excited to continue the mission set forth by Bosch and the BCF to partner with organizations in the local community in an effort to effectively impact STEM and environmental sustainability education for students and teachers. “We consider this funding to be an investment in a variety of ways: It’s an investment in our students, who will become the workforce of tomorrow; it’s an investment in their teachers, who strive to find the most innovative ways to teach, coach and mentor; and ultimately, it’s an investment in our community. When industry and education work together to focus on STEM and environmental sustainability education today, we help secure high-quality and high-paying careers for those who will live in and further enrich our community in the future.”

According to Anderson City Mayor Terence Roberts, collaboration between the community, industry and educators helps make Anderson a great place to live and work: “We are proud of the quality of life that the City of Anderson provides its residents and those who work here. We appreciate the leadership that Bosch is taking in building productive partnerships in the community and the time they have committed to determine how their philanthropic contributions can have the greatest impact.” The programs recognized by the Bosch Anderson site and the BCF all help develop the workforce of the future by fostering interest among students in the areas where there continues to be the greatest need: science, technology, engineering and math.

In April, Bunch presented the six previously announced BCF awards, totaling $250,000, at school board and other community meetings. In addition, awards for the Tri-County Technical College Foundation FIRST Robotics team #4965 and the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics Foundation (see list of grants below) were given earlier in the year. For the awards presented today, Bosch Anderson site leadership invited local community and government leaders to their facility to participate in an awards ceremony involving several teachers and students. “The associates at the Bosch Anderson facility feel part of the Anderson community,” Bunch said, “and we wanted to extend the same hospitality to the community that has long been extended to us.”

The following grants directly provide students in the Anderson community the opportunities to explore STEM education through interactive, hands-on activities:

• Anderson School District 1: This $12,636 grant supports a variety of district-wide, hands-on STEM education experiences. Activities include the Sailboat Challenge and necessary equipment; competition fees and corresponding professional development; robotics control starter kits; fuel-cell classroom kits and STEM-related apps.

• Anderson School District 2: This $18,940 grant supports District 2’s STEM Blitz, designed to provide teachers with training to effectively lead students in the development of STEM skills and awareness of STEM-related careers.

• Anderson School District 3: This $8,035 grant supports the purchase of an iPad mobile cart and 20 iPad minis to bolster opportunities for K-5 students in STEM education experiences and program delivery.

• Anderson School District 4: This $23,000 grant supports STEM I3, a district-wide model designed to integrate STEM project-based instructional strategies for all learners. This grant covers a variety of costs associated with the program including equipment, STEM learning events, competitions and Engineering by Design professional development curriculum.

• Anderson School District 5 Educational Foundation: This $35,000 grant supports key projects in Project STEM Discovery, including the Bosch Discovery Teacher Grants program and Camp Discovery. Camp Discovery is a two-week summer program that exposes STEM content, environmental habitats and scientific inquiry to students. The Bosch Discovery Teacher Grants program provides teachers the opportunity to apply for funds to support STEM education.

• Beautiful Places Alliance: This $10,000 grant supports the development of interpretative educational signage regarding natural resources for visitors of Sadler’s Creek State Park.

• Tri-County Technical College Foundation – FIRST® LEGO® League: This $10,000 grant supports the annual FIRST LEGO League Qualifying Tournament and Robotics Summer Camps, introducing students to programming, robotics and problem solving.

The following BCF awards, not previously announced, were given earlier in the year:

• South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) Foundation: This $5,000 grant supports the GSSM project-based summer day camp, CREATEng, for ninth-graders from across South Carolina’s Upstate. During the week-long camp, students will participate in daily engineering challenges exploring different fields of engineering, as well as mini team challenges that foster creativity and innovation, and teach the fundamentals of engineering design. Most importantly, CREATEng will introduce students to careers at manufacturing facilities and engineering firms through local field trips and guest speakers.

• Tri-County Technical College Foundation – Support for U.S. FIRST Robotics Team: This $18,500 grant supports U.S. FIRST Robotics Team 4965: FIRE and grant-eligible costs associated with its 2015 season.

About the Bosch Community Fund: The Bosch Community Fund, a U.S.-based foundation established in September 2011, awards up to $3 million annually in grants to various 501(c)(3) organizations and educational institutions. The BCF focuses primarily on the enrichment of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and the advancement of environmental sustainability initiatives. About Bosch: In the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket solutions, industrial drives and control technology, power tools, security and communication systems, packaging technology, thermotechnology, household appliances, healthcare telemedicine and software solutions. Having established a regional presence in 1906, Bosch employs 24,600 associates in more than 100 locations, with consolidated sales of $10.4 billion in 2013. For more information, visit www.boschusa.com, www.bosch.com.mx and www.bosch.ca.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In 2013, its roughly 281,000 associates generated sales of 46.1 billion euros ($61.2 billion). Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Automotive Technology, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 360 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 50 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. In 2013, Bosch invested some 4.5 billion euros ($6.0 billion) in research and development and applied for some 5,000 patents worldwide. The Bosch Group’s products and services are designed to fascinate, and to improve the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. In this way, the company offers technology worldwide that is “Invented for life.” Additional information on the global organization is available online at www.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com, and http://twitter.com/BoschPresse. *Due to a change in accounting policies, 2013 figures can only be compared to a limited extent with 2012 figures. The decision to forego the application of proportionate consolidation affects mainly BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH and ZF Lenksysteme GmbH (2013 consolidated sales volume of some $9.7 billion). Exchange rate: 1 EUR = $1.32812.