Microsoft Commits $4.5 Million to Create Better Access to Technology, Training and Skills Development in Canada
Funds to be allocated over three years to Microsoft Canada's Partners in Learning and Unlimited Potential programs
Mississauga, ON - December 6, 2005 - Steve Ballmer, Chief Executive Officer, Microsoft Corporation, today announced a $4.5-million commitment to Microsoft Canada's Partners in Learning (PiL) and Unlimited Potential (UP) programs at Microsoft Canada's CAN>WIN 05 business summit Canada in the World: Economic Prosperity and Productivity through Innovation and Skilled Workforce in Ottawa.
Microsoft is partnering with Government Ministries of Education, community organizations and other key stakeholders to offer grants to foster digital inclusion by providing access to the latest computer technologies and training to Canadian community organizations, students and lifelong learners allowing them to achieve their fullest potential.
"These kinds of grass root initiatives are vital to sustaining innovation, promoting a skilled workforce and driving economic prosperity," said Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft Corporation. "Through PiL and UP we work with students, teachers and lifelong learners to help create social and economic opportunities and to help transform communities."
There will be several components to the investments in Canada, including cash contributions for research, teacher training and development, curriculum repositories and student achievement programs. There will also be software donations made to schools and community learning centres across the country.
The PiL program works with school boards across Canada and provides grants, licenses for donated computers and subscription licensing. UP funds will be provided to local charitable and not for profit organizations to support technology skills training. In total, the lives of a quarter of a million Canadians will be positively impacted.
About Partners in Learning and Unlimited Potential
Since the PiL and UP programs launched in Canada in 2004, a total of $3.8 million in cash, software, services and support has been invested in schools and community learning centres across the country.
The Canadian Partners in Learning program is designed to support elementary and secondary schools and assist teachers through strategic investments. The program has provided $2 million to date. The PiL program is composed of three elements:
| • | Teacher Innovation Program - focuses on helping teachers feel more confident with computers and technology by offering training and development programs and eventually a collaborative online community. Research is also conducted to evaluate programs to ensure they are meeting objectives. |
| • | Partners in Learning School Agreement - offers upgrades for Microsoft® Windows® operating system for free and Office software for no more than $4.00 per year, per desktop to Canadian schools considered disadvantaged. |
| • | Fresh Start for Donated Computers Program - helps remove the licensing barriers that often prevent schools from using or receiving donated computers. |
Partners in Learning recipients include the province of Manitoba, which received cash, software, services and support for many of the province's Aboriginal students in remote areas and training and resources for more than 1,000 teachers. The province of New Brunswick received PiL funding to support its Dedicated Notebook Research Project, aimed at providing laptops to Grade 7 and 8 students.
The Unlimited Potential program focuses on improving lifelong learning for underserved young people and adults by providing technology skills through community-based technology learning centres. Since its inception in 2004, $1.8 million has been given to the UP program in Canada. Recipients include: the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, to help develop technology-training programs at Clubs across the country; Dixon Hall, a social services agency in Toronto, to help provide computer training for new immigrants and others who need additional skills to enter the workforce; as well as Toronto's Frontier College's Beat the Street Program and Manitoba's e-Association. Through the UP program, more than 100,000 children and youth have been positively affected.
About Microsoft Canada
Established in 1985, Microsoft Canada Co. is the Canadian subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ "MSFT") the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. Microsoft Canada provides nationwide sales, marketing, consulting and local support services in both French and English. Headquartered in Mississauga, Microsoft Canada has 10 regional offices across the country dedicated to empowering people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. Visit Microsoft Canada's web site at www.microsoft.ca
