Month: February 2024

The Public Affairs Council honored the winners of the 2024 Innovation Awards during its annual Advocacy Conference in Austin, Texas on January 30, 2024. International Paper won in the category of Grassroots Innovation for our Period Poverty Initiative to combat period poverty in communities and raise awareness of the issue facing women and girls. Meaghan Joyce, director of political & advocacy strategy, accepted the award on behalf of International Paper and provided an overview of the campaign during the award ceremony.

Period poverty is the lack of access to period products and education – it affects at least 500 million women and girls globally, even in the most economically developed countries. In the U.S., 1 in 5 girls have missed school due to the lack of access to period products – that is more than 3.5 million girls. It’s an issue that leads to a number of problems like school truancy, reproductive issues, health risks and unnecessary shame.

That is why IP launched its award winning Fighting Period Poverty in Our Communities program in 2020 by hosting a series of menstrual product packing and donation events globally to raise awareness about period poverty with employees and provide Period Care kits to people who need them the most in the communities where we operate.

IP partnered with our customer Procter & Gamble, maker of the Always brand, to assemble and distribute kits containing menstrual products. Last year, IP hosted packing events in 62 locations across nine countries, donating more than 31,000 kits containing 720,000 units of menstrual products.

A hallmark of the program is to advocate for passage of legislation like the Menstrual Equity for All Act, introduced in 2021 and 2023, to expand access to menstrual products in schools and government buildings. To date, 25 states have passed laws to provide free period products in some capacity. There is a need for national change to solve the issue of period poverty.

“The ingenuity, creativity and political savvy of our members once again amazes me,” says Council President Doug Pinkham. “This year’s Innovation Award winners take our understanding of innovation to a new and increasingly sophisticated level, offering a model for other organizations to aspire to. What they have done and continue to do is inspiring.”

“It is an honor to be recognized alongside some of the top advocacy organizations in the business,” said Meaghan Joyce. “Our period poverty initiative has grown exponentially in its four-year history and we’ll continue to innovate, expand and take action on this important issue. Collaboration is essential to combat period poverty and our ability to engage diverse stakeholders toward a common goal is a key to our success.”

Other winners include Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in the Communications Innovation category for raising awareness of the challenges people in the disability community face in air travel and building support for accessibility improvements to air travel during FAA reauthorization, and Grupo Estrategia Politica (GEP)in the Lobbying Innovation category for their successful campaign that strengthened the efforts to regain the Category 1 safety classification for the Mexican aviation industry after it was downgraded to Category 2 by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

About the Public Affairs Council 
Both nonpartisan and nonpolitical, the Public Affairs Council is the leading global association for public affairs professionals. The Council’s mission is to advance the field of public affairs and to provide its 750 member companies, nonprofits and universities with the executive education and expertise they need while maintaining the highest ethical standards. Learn more at pac.org.

About International Paper
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of sustainable packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of the world’s largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what’s next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2023 were $18.9 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., February 8, 2024 /3BL/ – Panasonic Corporation of North America and Olympian Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female swimmer in history, jointly announced a second virtual field trip from STEM Forward, an educational program created with worldwide edtech leader Discovery Education. Premiering February 15, 2024 at 1 PM ET and available on-demand, Panasonic’s new Innovators for Impact Virtual Field Trip (VFT) is designed to help educators inspire student innovation in science, technology, engineering, and math (“STEM”) and allow them to virtually travel to Japan with Katie Ledecky.

A 3-time Olympian, 21-time World Champion, and 10-time Olympic medal-winning swimmer, Katie is a proud STEM advocate. The Innovators for Impact VFT will follow Katie alongside a student to meet and interact with Panasonic STEM specialists who are exploring innovative ways of living and working today, and in the future.

“Any opportunity I have in life to inspire educators and students to live more sustainably, I’m going to take it,” said Katie Ledecky. “It was exciting to explore Panasonic’s innovations in its global headquarters in Japan and then be able to share that experience to help engage educators and students. From solar power to smart mobility, furthering STEM education and providing equal access to students can help today’s youth realize their impact.”

The Innovators for Impact Virtual Field Trip will explore how Panasonic combines innovation with impact, providing students with the knowledge to connect what they learn in school to the real-world. Educators and students who take part in the program will be able to take a virtual journey and learn about sustainable smart towns, various types of energy systems, and smart mobility.

An accompanying educator guide provides teachers with materials and classroom activities for before, during, and after the virtual field trip. In addition, a Family Activity and Digital Lesson Bundle takes the learning even further by providing engaging resources exploring insights from the Innovators for Impact Virtual Field Trip. Learn more and watch the Innovators for Impact Virtual Field Trip here.

“Panasonic was founded to have a positive impact on society. For over 100 years, we’ve lived by this mission, building products designed to enhance the human experience. The STEM Forward program is an excellent example of this effort and how people are integral to our success – including the students who will be the professionals of tomorrow,” said Megan Myungwon Lee, Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Corporation of North America. “We are proud to continue to work alongside Katie Ledecky to show today’s educators and learners how they can have a positive impact on the world through STEM.”

In 2022, Katie joined Panasonic to launch the STEM Forward program with Discovery Education and hosted the Winning with STEM Virtual Field Trip which gave educators and students a tour of five of Panasonic’s Innovation Centers across North America. STEM Forward connects educators and students to the game-changing power of technology with standards-aligned resources for any learning environment at no cost. Building on Katie’s ongoing work with Panasonic as a STEM leader and member of Team Panasonic, STEM Forward provides educators, students, and families with dynamic digital resources that explore how technology improves lives and makes the world a better place. In addition, STEM Forward includes special Virtual Field Trips appropriate for wherever learning takes place.

“STEM innovation is the not-so-secret secret behind a better world. We are thrilled to connect today’s students to inspirational leaders, like Panasonic and STEM advocate Katie Ledecky, as they discover where STEM fits in their world and their plans for their futures,” said Amy Nakamoto, General Manager of Corporate Partnerships at Discovery Education.

You can learn more about STEM Forward at stemforward.discoveryeducation.com, or within Discovery Education Experience, the award-winning K-12 learning platform.

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About Panasonic Corporation of North America 
Newark, NJ-based Panasonic Corporation of North America is a leading provider of Consumer Lifestyle technologies, as well as innovative Smart Mobility, Sustainable Energy, Immersive Experiences, and Integrated Supply Chain solutions. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Holdings Corporation. One of Interbrand’s Top 100 Best Global Brands of 2023, Panasonic is a leading technology partner and integrator to businesses, government agencies and consumers across the region. Learn more about Panasonic’s ideas and innovations at na.panasonic.com/us.

About Discovery Education 
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and corporate partnerships, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

Contacts 
Betsy Sagges 
Panasonic Corporation of North America 
Betsy.Sagges@us.panasonic.com

Grace Maliska 
Discovery Education 
gmaliska@discoveryed.com