Tag: 3BL

Verizon

In the Compton Unified School District in Compton, CA, technology isn’t simply a tool to get things done; district leaders see technology as a means for transformation — and they’re determined to give every student equitable access.

“We want to move our students from being consumers of technology to creators of technology,” says Alvaro Brito, team administrator for the district.

The Compton Unified School District had already taken the first step on this journey. Working with Verizon and its nonprofit partners, the district established Verizon Innovative Learning Labs in seven of its 36 schools. The Verizon Innovative Learning Lab program integrates emerging technology with a project-based curriculum in a custom-designed, state-of-the-art experiential learning lab within Title I schools. Powered by an emerging tech-infused curriculum, including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and 3D printing, the Verizon Innovative Learning Labs support students to explore opportunities to help move the world forward by leveraging technology, social innovation and design thinking to impact their communities.

Having seen the powerful impact of the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab program in these seven schools, educators in the Compton district wanted to find ways to expand the benefits to all 36 schools in the district.

“We wanted to make sure that not only these few select schools that got those awesome Verizon Innovative Learning Labs have access to those technologies, but try to replicate it throughout the whole school district,” Brito explains.

The Verizon Innovative Learning Lab program empowers schools across the country to become hubs of innovation. Every student in the district, school leaders felt, would benefit from the STEM curriculum and access to emerging tech, based on the success at Davis Middle School, the first district school to join the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab program.

“We saw an increase in engagement. We saw an increase in attendance. We saw an increase in interest in solving real world problems in the community, and so did Verizon,” says Michele Dawson, senior director of innovation and technology for Compton Unified.

Using the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab as a model to replicate, the educators came up with a plan. “It was a tall order, but the innovation and the creation that came from it — that was incredible,” Brito says. Each school’s leadership identified rooms that could be transformed into the labs, and principals ordered technology and furniture for the build-out, using the existing Verizon Innovative Learning Labs as a model.

And, of course, there was staffing. During the summer of 2022, 30 teachers attended a week-long professional training session organized independently by Arizona State University, which creates the tech-infused STEM curriculum and provides professional development for the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab program. “So, in the summer, we had a cohort of educators from across the district who were trained on all these different types of technologies that they would see in the Lab.”

The result was an instant expansion of STEAM labs across the district, benefiting students and teachers alike. “Those STEAM labs became a hub of innovation and creation, not only for students, but also a space where teachers, they come in, learn how to use new technology and build capacity,” Brito explains.

Students, of course, take to tech easily, and sometimes without knowing that the fun they’re having is actually teaching them something, too. “They think they’re playing a lot of times, but they’re really learning skills that are useful and could one day be fruitful for them and their families,” says Susanna Miranda, principal of Clinton Elementary School.

That mission of preparing her students for their futures is one Miranda says she is passionate about. “I wanted my students to think of themselves as engineers. I wanted my students to think of themselves as coders,” Miranda says. “I come from this community,” she says. “I am those kids; I watch those kids. And now I want to make sure that I can provide for them as many opportunities as I can to be successful in life.”

“I know that we’ve accelerated the speed that we can bring our kids up to the 21st century learning and innovation that we want to see them have in their future,” adds Dawson. “This program has changed the trajectory of Compton Unified School District and has catapulted it into the future.”

Verizon

In the Compton Unified School District in Compton, CA, technology isn’t simply a tool to get things done; district leaders see technology as a means for transformation — and they’re determined to give every student equitable access.

“We want to move our students from being consumers of technology to creators of technology,” says Alvaro Brito, team administrator for the district.

The Compton Unified School District had already taken the first step on this journey. Working with Verizon and its nonprofit partners, the district established Verizon Innovative Learning Labs in seven of its 36 schools. The Verizon Innovative Learning Lab program integrates emerging technology with a project-based curriculum in a custom-designed, state-of-the-art experiential learning lab within Title I schools. Powered by an emerging tech-infused curriculum, including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and 3D printing, the Verizon Innovative Learning Labs support students to explore opportunities to help move the world forward by leveraging technology, social innovation and design thinking to impact their communities.

Having seen the powerful impact of the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab program in these seven schools, educators in the Compton district wanted to find ways to expand the benefits to all 36 schools in the district.

“We wanted to make sure that not only these few select schools that got those awesome Verizon Innovative Learning Labs have access to those technologies, but try to replicate it throughout the whole school district,” Brito explains.

The Verizon Innovative Learning Lab program empowers schools across the country to become hubs of innovation. Every student in the district, school leaders felt, would benefit from the STEM curriculum and access to emerging tech, based on the success at Davis Middle School, the first district school to join the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab program.

“We saw an increase in engagement. We saw an increase in attendance. We saw an increase in interest in solving real world problems in the community, and so did Verizon,” says Michele Dawson, senior director of innovation and technology for Compton Unified.

Using the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab as a model to replicate, the educators came up with a plan. “It was a tall order, but the innovation and the creation that came from it — that was incredible,” Brito says. Each school’s leadership identified rooms that could be transformed into the labs, and principals ordered technology and furniture for the build-out, using the existing Verizon Innovative Learning Labs as a model.

And, of course, there was staffing. During the summer of 2022, 30 teachers attended a week-long professional training session organized independently by Arizona State University, which creates the tech-infused STEM curriculum and provides professional development for the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab program. “So, in the summer, we had a cohort of educators from across the district who were trained on all these different types of technologies that they would see in the Lab.”

The result was an instant expansion of STEAM labs across the district, benefiting students and teachers alike. “Those STEAM labs became a hub of innovation and creation, not only for students, but also a space where teachers, they come in, learn how to use new technology and build capacity,” Brito explains.

Students, of course, take to tech easily, and sometimes without knowing that the fun they’re having is actually teaching them something, too. “They think they’re playing a lot of times, but they’re really learning skills that are useful and could one day be fruitful for them and their families,” says Susanna Miranda, principal of Clinton Elementary School.

That mission of preparing her students for their futures is one Miranda says she is passionate about. “I wanted my students to think of themselves as engineers. I wanted my students to think of themselves as coders,” Miranda says. “I come from this community,” she says. “I am those kids; I watch those kids. And now I want to make sure that I can provide for them as many opportunities as I can to be successful in life.”

“I know that we’ve accelerated the speed that we can bring our kids up to the 21st century learning and innovation that we want to see them have in their future,” adds Dawson. “This program has changed the trajectory of Compton Unified School District and has catapulted it into the future.”

CHICAGO, January 20, 2025 /3BL/ – The Baker Tilly Foundation announces the 15 recipients of its eighth annual Baker Tilly Wishes – a program driven by team member nominations, empowers not-for-profit organizations with $10,000 donations.

“Our team members are the heart of our firm’s giving programs,” Baker Tilly Foundation President and Chairman Jennifer Soltis said. “Through Wishes, we can make meaningful contributions to the organizations that are changing lives every day and supporting causes that truly matter to our people and their communities.”

This year’s 15 recipients include the following not-for-profit organizations from coast to coast:

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Out of the Darkness Walk – New York, New York 
Bo’s Place – Houston, Texas 
Camp Fatima of New Jersey Inc – Harrison, New Jersey
Elixir Fund, Inc. – Pompton Plains, New Jersey
Family and Youth Initiative Inc (DCFYI) – Washington, D.C. 
Joyful Readers, Inc. – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
Little Giraffe Foundation Ltd. – Mount Prospect, Illinois
Logan’s Heart and Smiles – Madison, Wisconsin 
Long Island Cares, Inc. – Hauppauge, New York 
Love for our Elders – Cleveland, Ohio 
MISS Foundation – Austin, Texas 
Our Neighbors’ Table – Amesbury, Massachusetts 
Rebuild Upstate – Greenville, South Carolina 
Sail Beyond Cancer USA, Inc. – South Burlington, Vermont 
The Sunday LOVE Project – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Baker Tilly Wishes focuses on the three pillars of the Baker Tilly Foundation: education, health and wellness and human services. The program is part of the firm’s broader annual holiday giving, which embraces causes supported by team members in their communities and includes many local office efforts, such as drives for food, toys and gifts for families in need. Additionally, the firm provides each team member with a charitable gift credit to bestow on a not-for-profit organization of their choice.

# # #

About Baker Tilly (bakertilly.com) 
Baker Tilly is a leading advisory, tax and assurance firm, providing clients with a genuine coast-to-coast and global advantage in major regions of the U.S. and in many of the world’s leading financial centers – New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and Baker Tilly US, LLP (Baker Tilly) provide professional services through an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and applicable laws, regulations and professional standards. Baker Tilly US, LLP is a licensed independent CPA firm that provides attest services to its clients. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and its subsidiary entities provide tax and business advisory services to their clients. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and its subsidiary entities are not licensed CPA firms.

Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and Baker Tilly US, LLP, trading as Baker Tilly, are independent members of Baker Tilly International, a worldwide network of independent accounting and business advisory firms in 141 territories, with 43,000 professionals and a combined worldwide revenue of $5.2 billion. Visit bakertilly.com or join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Contacts: 
Nicole Berkeland 
nicole.berkeland@bakertilly.com 
612 876 4891

Baker Tilly Media Relations 
press@bakertilly.com

CHICAGO, January 20, 2025 /3BL/ – The Baker Tilly Foundation announces the 15 recipients of its eighth annual Baker Tilly Wishes – a program driven by team member nominations, empowers not-for-profit organizations with $10,000 donations.

“Our team members are the heart of our firm’s giving programs,” Baker Tilly Foundation President and Chairman Jennifer Soltis said. “Through Wishes, we can make meaningful contributions to the organizations that are changing lives every day and supporting causes that truly matter to our people and their communities.”

This year’s 15 recipients include the following not-for-profit organizations from coast to coast:

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Out of the Darkness Walk – New York, New York 
Bo’s Place – Houston, Texas 
Camp Fatima of New Jersey Inc – Harrison, New Jersey
Elixir Fund, Inc. – Pompton Plains, New Jersey
Family and Youth Initiative Inc (DCFYI) – Washington, D.C. 
Joyful Readers, Inc. – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
Little Giraffe Foundation Ltd. – Mount Prospect, Illinois
Logan’s Heart and Smiles – Madison, Wisconsin 
Long Island Cares, Inc. – Hauppauge, New York 
Love for our Elders – Cleveland, Ohio 
MISS Foundation – Austin, Texas 
Our Neighbors’ Table – Amesbury, Massachusetts 
Rebuild Upstate – Greenville, South Carolina 
Sail Beyond Cancer USA, Inc. – South Burlington, Vermont 
The Sunday LOVE Project – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Baker Tilly Wishes focuses on the three pillars of the Baker Tilly Foundation: education, health and wellness and human services. The program is part of the firm’s broader annual holiday giving, which embraces causes supported by team members in their communities and includes many local office efforts, such as drives for food, toys and gifts for families in need. Additionally, the firm provides each team member with a charitable gift credit to bestow on a not-for-profit organization of their choice.

# # #

About Baker Tilly (bakertilly.com) 
Baker Tilly is a leading advisory, tax and assurance firm, providing clients with a genuine coast-to-coast and global advantage in major regions of the U.S. and in many of the world’s leading financial centers – New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and Baker Tilly US, LLP (Baker Tilly) provide professional services through an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and applicable laws, regulations and professional standards. Baker Tilly US, LLP is a licensed independent CPA firm that provides attest services to its clients. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and its subsidiary entities provide tax and business advisory services to their clients. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and its subsidiary entities are not licensed CPA firms.

Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and Baker Tilly US, LLP, trading as Baker Tilly, are independent members of Baker Tilly International, a worldwide network of independent accounting and business advisory firms in 141 territories, with 43,000 professionals and a combined worldwide revenue of $5.2 billion. Visit bakertilly.com or join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Contacts: 
Nicole Berkeland 
nicole.berkeland@bakertilly.com 
612 876 4891

Baker Tilly Media Relations 
press@bakertilly.com

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., January 17, 2025 /3BL/ – As part of its commitment to support the California communities affected by wildfires, home appliance leader LG Electronics USA announced the first phase of its community resiliency and disaster response efforts.

Through in-kind support, LG is focused on assisting those whose lives have been upended by the disaster by providing $500,000 worth of vital home appliances such as washers, dryers and air purifiers to community shelters, schools, fire stations and other facilities in need.

Support will start with LG Electronics USA providing hundreds of air purifiers to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and will extend to other organizations as well. As a partner in the long-term recovery of the region, the LG global team is working to determine additional assistance, including the potential operation of free mobile laundromats in affected communities.

“LG recognizes the profound impact of the catastrophic wildfires that are consuming entire communities across Southern California,” said Chris Jung, President and CEO of LG Electronics North America. “The journey toward better days begins with thoughtful action. While in the midst of a tragedy such as this, we hope easier access to things like fresh clothes and cleaner air can provide a small sense of comfort to those whose lives have been forever impacted.

“We are grateful for the incredible work of the brave first responders and all those working to protect communities,” Jung added. “In this initial support, we wanted help as quickly as possible, and we also know that those impacted will need support in the coming weeks, months and years.”

# # #

About LG Electronics USA 
LG Electronics USA Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics Inc., a smart life solutions company with annual global revenues of more than $60 billion. In the United States, LG sells a wide range of innovative home appliances, home entertainment products, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and vehicle components. LG is an 11-time ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year. www.LG.com.

Media Contacts:

LG Electronics North America 
John I. Taylor 
john.taylor@lge.com 
+1 201 816 2166

LG Electronics USA 
Chris De Maria 
christopher.demaria@lge.com

Veolia North America Sustainability Report 2024

Veolia is deeply connected to the nearly 500 cities, towns and neighborhoods in which we operate. To achieve our mission of ecological transformation, we realize the importance of engaging with local communities, schools and advocacy groups, and promoting social justice and building relationships with our stakeholders. 

Here are a  few examples of how we are engaging directly with our communities to better support them.

OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS

We regularly host tours of our operations to school students across the U.S., providing opportunities to learn about environmental services, as well as spark future interest in careers in sustainability and STEM fields. We also provide in-classroom educational talks and materials to help community schools teach students about water and wastewater, biodiversity and protecting our water sources. From the Oradell Dam to events in Milwaukee, students from all grades enjoy learning about how this work supports their community.

ENGAGING WITH THE NEXT GENERATION

We are committed to providing the educational tools and resources that help educate the public about the important role wastewater treatment plays in protecting the health of the community and the local environment. Our robust tour program brings hundreds of visitors, from elementary schools to community groups, to Nassau County’s wastewater treatment plants every year. They learn what happens from a bathroom flush to the discharge of clean water back into the receiving waters. We also offer instructions and curriculum for teachers to conduct engaging water experiments in their schools.

ADDRESSING UNIQUE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Our expertise does more than just provide a service. It also helps to protect the ecosystems in our communities, and ensure that we are protecting resources vital to the survival of people, plants and animals. We work alongside community leaders, catering our solutions to address their unique challenges. We aim to be active participants in our communities, taking part in events, cleanups and other programs throughout the year.

COMMUNITY CLEAN UPS

Across North America, employees, partners and residents join to clean up public green spaces. This is a fun and easy way for us to engage directly with the communities we serve, learning about their concerns while making their public spaces brighter.

Continue reading the full report

Originally published on 3M News Center

To help protect the respiratory health and safety of first responders and communities affected by the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area, 3M is working with Direct Relief, one of the largest global humanitarian aid organizations in the world. 3M recently provided the organization with 5 million N95 respirators to support their global humanitarian response efforts and enable real time equipment access when wildfires strike.

Through our official respiratory protection sponsorship of Direct Relief, they were able to pre-stock and strategically position 3M N95s in Los Angeles, minimizing transit time and ensuring efficient access to essential protective equipment in disaster-stricken areas. 3M N95 respirators, along with other essential supplies, are being distributed through community health clinics and nonprofit partners in the area, including the YMCA. 3M remains committed to offering support if additional needs become apparent through the relief and recovery process.

Respirators and other personal protective equipment (PPE) can help reduce exposure to wildfire smoke particulates and help enable wildfire cleanup. 3M has resources online to help community members understand the respiratory hazards of wildfires.

Direct Relief is providing critical, highly requested aid as Southern California grapples with one of the most devastating wildfire events in Los Angeles County’s history. Through local community health clinics including @venicefamilyclinic, and local evacuation shelters, Direct Relief has distributed thousands of @3m N95 respirators to those impacted by wildfire smoke, and has provided medications, basic hygiene products from @vaselinebrand, and more to those displaced by the fires. Direct Relief also continues to provide requested aid to first responders including emergency medical backpacks, PPE, and re-hydration supplements.

This disaster will reshape Los Angeles for years to come, and Direct relief will continue to support those impacted.

Follow for updates and visit the link in bio to learn more about Direct Relief’s wildfire response.

(Footage by @seanrcollier for Direct Relief and Gilles Clarenne/AFPTV/DC POOL/AFP)

Originally published on 3M News Center

To help protect the respiratory health and safety of first responders and communities affected by the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area, 3M is working with Direct Relief, one of the largest global humanitarian aid organizations in the world. 3M recently provided the organization with 5 million N95 respirators to support their global humanitarian response efforts and enable real time equipment access when wildfires strike.

Through our official respiratory protection sponsorship of Direct Relief, they were able to pre-stock and strategically position 3M N95s in Los Angeles, minimizing transit time and ensuring efficient access to essential protective equipment in disaster-stricken areas. 3M N95 respirators, along with other essential supplies, are being distributed through community health clinics and nonprofit partners in the area, including the YMCA. 3M remains committed to offering support if additional needs become apparent through the relief and recovery process.

Respirators and other personal protective equipment (PPE) can help reduce exposure to wildfire smoke particulates and help enable wildfire cleanup. 3M has resources online to help community members understand the respiratory hazards of wildfires.

Direct Relief is providing critical, highly requested aid as Southern California grapples with one of the most devastating wildfire events in Los Angeles County’s history. Through local community health clinics including @venicefamilyclinic, and local evacuation shelters, Direct Relief has distributed thousands of @3m N95 respirators to those impacted by wildfire smoke, and has provided medications, basic hygiene products from @vaselinebrand, and more to those displaced by the fires. Direct Relief also continues to provide requested aid to first responders including emergency medical backpacks, PPE, and re-hydration supplements.

This disaster will reshape Los Angeles for years to come, and Direct relief will continue to support those impacted.

Follow for updates and visit the link in bio to learn more about Direct Relief’s wildfire response.

(Footage by @seanrcollier for Direct Relief and Gilles Clarenne/AFPTV/DC POOL/AFP)

Grand Gulf Nuclear Station employees recently donated roughly 300 pounds of food to the Triumph Food Pantry. Each month, the food bank provides meals to more than 350 families in the communities surrounding Vicksburg, Miss.

“My wife and I try and find a worthy cause to donate to every year,” said Anthony Farrell, project manager at Grand Gulf.

Farrell helped collect food and money for the food pantry and helped unload 15,000 pounds of food to distribute to local families.

“They are always looking for volunteers,” said Farrell. “It was such a humbling experience for me to be able to help families in need. There are so many families out there that really depend on these food donations.”

This year, Grand Gulf is celebrating 40 years of making clean, carbon-free electricity for its customers and communities. Volunteering in the community is just another way Entergy employees can give back.

Grand Gulf Nuclear Station employees recently donated roughly 300 pounds of food to the Triumph Food Pantry. Each month, the food bank provides meals to more than 350 families in the communities surrounding Vicksburg, Miss.

“My wife and I try and find a worthy cause to donate to every year,” said Anthony Farrell, project manager at Grand Gulf.

Farrell helped collect food and money for the food pantry and helped unload 15,000 pounds of food to distribute to local families.

“They are always looking for volunteers,” said Farrell. “It was such a humbling experience for me to be able to help families in need. There are so many families out there that really depend on these food donations.”

This year, Grand Gulf is celebrating 40 years of making clean, carbon-free electricity for its customers and communities. Volunteering in the community is just another way Entergy employees can give back.