The spotlight award is given to individuals and entities that demonstrate a keen understanding of emerging trends and who successfully turn those trends into an advantage over and over. Spotlight award recipients are examples to learn from and a great place to get ideas for your own trend POV. This month’s spotlight award goes to Intel Corporation in the category of Education Trends.

Intel is pursuing  a powerful portfolio of programs to, “help teachers teach, students learn and universities around the world innovate-particularly in the areas of math, science and technology.” 

With nearly a dozen programs to tackle many of the major aspects of early and higher math and science education, it can seem overwhelming. Why would any company do so much? The major reason is in the sad fact that no company or organization in the United States can depend on our current educational system and culture to produce sufficient technical talent for the future. The fact that Intel recognized over a decade ago is that any organization requiring technical talent to thrive has to fill the pipeline themselves.

Beyond positive results and philanthropy you have to ask what is in it for Intel. After all, Intel Corporation is a technology manufacturer. They make computer chips. They are not in the education business. They funnel a lot of corporate profit into the endeavor but they do not profit from education or education research...or do they?

No company is THAT philanthropic without an expected ROI. Looking a little deeper, we see that there is indeed quite a bit in it for Intel: direct lines into a large worldwide pipeline of technical talent AND increased worldwide positive brand image and awareness.

There are several aspects of Intel’s program that any organization can emulate even if your budgets are small. The important features of Intel’s education outreach programs include:

• budgeting a consistent percentage of profits each year towards educational outreach programs,
• designing activities that tap into their unique workforce,
• designing activities that promote the skills their organization will need in the coming decades
• benefiting students, parents, teachers and administrators alike,

We are thrilled to award this month’s spotlight award to Intel Corporation as an example that every organization can follow and wish to offer our heartfelt thanks to the people behind the education initiative for the inspiration they provide worldwide.