Salesforce.org Donates $12.2 Million to San Francisco and Oakland School Districts to Expand Computer Science Education

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce.org, the philanthropic arm of Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), announced today it will donate $12.2 million to San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) to expand computer science education in Bay Area public schools. This marks the fifth consecutive year of Salesforce.org's partnership with SFUSD and the second year of partnership with OUSD, bringing Salesforce.org's total investment in the districts to $34.7 million.

Salesforce.org will donate $7 million to SFUSD to continue to expand and improve STEM education and $5.2 million to OUSD, focusing on computer science, teacher training and breaking down the barriers to learning. The donation includes $100,000 of unrestricted funds to 34 schools in San Francisco and Oakland through the Principal's Innovation Fund, which allows these principals to direct resources toward priorities and initiatives of their choosing. Additionally, Salesforce employees have committed 40,000 volunteer hours to education across the country over the 2017–2018 school year, doubling the previous school year commitment.

Comments on the news:
"Salesforce.org understands that an investment in our youth is an investment in the future of San Francisco," said San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee. "Support for STEM programs is changing the way that the students of San Francisco's public schools are learning, helping them prepare for tomorrow's shifting trends. We are fortunate to live in a thriving city, and we want to see everyone — especially our young students — benefit from that prosperity. Salesforce.org's ongoing commitment to our STEM programs helps us achieve that goal." 

"I am thrilled to continue our partnership with Salesforce.org to provide more opportunities for Oakland Unified School District students," said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. "Due to their incredible generosity last year, we have already seen tremendous impact, dramatically increasing access to computer science classes, personalized math instruction, and college and career support through Oakland Promise Future Centers. We know that our students deserve the best opportunities to be prepared for the ever-evolving workforce and this investment helps ensure our students are able to thrive in post-secondary education and the career of their dreams."

"In the short time OUSD has partnered with Salesforce.org, we have seen a dramatic difference in the outlook of our students," said OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. "Everything from the middle school Principal's Innovation Fund to an enhanced focus on computer science to the volunteers in our classrooms has enabled our young people to see their futures through a new lens. The life path that some of them are taking may have already shifted because of this important work. We thank Salesforce.org for helping give our students this vision."

"Our partnership with Mr. Benioff and Mayor Lee has brought many great life changing opportunities and outcomes for our students. Middle schools have been our priority with this initiative and academic achievement is on the rise in the middle grades," said SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews. "In addition to enabling improved teaching and learning for all our students, this partnership is bringing access to young people who have historically been underrepresented in STEM fields. It's a game changer."

"We want to live in a city, and in a country, where every child has access to education that will prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow," said Rob Acker, CEO of Salesforce.org. "I'm inspired by the progress we've made with SFUSD and OUSD and look forward to strengthening our partnership to give Bay Area students access to STEM education to make a positive impact on future generations."

Closing the Opportunity Gap for San Francisco Students
Building on Salesforce.org's multiyear partnership with SFUSD and Mayor Lee, the $7 million SFUSD funding will be used to:

• Continue to increase computer science enrollment in middle schools and high schools, and expand the program to 21 elementary schools
• Continue to provide math coaches to improve teaching efficacy and student outcomes
• Double down on teacher training through a new partnership with NYU designed to drive teacher support and retention
• Pilot a new instructional model in partnership with New Tech Network that offers personalized learning across all content areas
• Deliver $100,000 per school of unrestricted funds to all 21 middle schools through the Principal's Innovation Fund

Furthering Growth and Support for Oakland Unified School District
Through Salesforce.org's continuing partnership with OUSD and Mayor Schaaf, the $5.2 million in funding will be used to:

• Expand computer science education to additional schools and increase professional development opportunities for computer science teachers
• Provide social worker, academic, and career development support to newcomer students
• Provide math coaches and intervention programs to help strengthen teaching and accelerate student achievement
• Increase one-on-one tutoring support and classroom services through the Oakland School Volunteers program
• Expand Principal's Innovation Fund of $100,000 per school to 13 middle schools

Improving Computer Science Education
Since Salesforce.org formed its partnership with SFUSD five years ago, San Francisco has become the very first school district in the United States to have a computer science curriculum for every grade. Enrollment of girls in computer science has increased from nearly 200 to more than 3,800, and enrollment of underrepresented groups in computer science has increased from less than 100 to more than 3,800. Today, computer science enrollment mirrors the SFUSD community demographic with females and underrepresented groups each making up nearly half of overall enrollment. 

Since Salesforce.org formed its partnership with OUSD in 2016, the number of teachers teaching computer science in middle school has increased from two to 14. Middle school enrollment in computer science courses grew from 80 to over 900 students. Of these 900 students taking their first computer science class, 45 percent are young women, 29 percent are African-American and 38 percent are Latino, mirroring the demographics of OUSD.

About Salesforce.org

Salesforce.org is based on a simple idea: leverage Salesforce’s technology, people and resources to improve communities around the world. We call this integrated philanthropic approach the 1-1-1 model. Since 1999, Salesforce technology has powered more than 32,000 nonprofit and education institutions; Salesforce and its philanthropic entities have provided more than $168 million in grants; and Salesforce employees have logged more than 2.3 million volunteer hours throughout the world. For more information on Salesforce.org, please visit www.salesforce.org.

Salesforce, Salesforce Sales Cloud, Salesforce Community Cloud, Salesforce.org, and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

SOURCE Salesforce.org

Related Links

http://www.salesforce.org/