Parkinson Technologies a Founding Sponsor in Teach For America-Rhode Island's Sponsor A Teacher Campaign
Company sponsors Mount Pleasant High School mathematics teacher in support of STEM education
Providence, RI - To promote academic excellence in STEM fields, Parkinson Technologies has committed $5,000 as a founding participant in Teach For America-Rhode Island's inaugural Sponsor A Teacher campaign. Parkinson Technologies will sponsor one member of the Teach For America-Rhode Island teaching corps for the 2012-13 school year. The national non-profit recruits, trains and supports top college graduates and professionals to teach in high-need public schools and become lifelong advocates for educational excellence and equity. Company personnel attended the Rhode Island chapter's Sponsor A Teacher kickoff event October 23 in Providence. The event introduced members of the teaching corps to their sponsors, provided a thorough overview of the details of the program, and fostered discussions with corps members regarding their work with students.
Mathematics teacher Callie Walsh, a Massachusetts native and graduate of St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, was matched with Parkinson Technologies for this her first year in the classroom. She is currently teaching 10th grade algebra at Mount Pleasant High School in Providence. She will connect regularly with Parkinson Technologies to share her progress with students as well as explore curriculum tie-ins, tours, and potential workshops. When asked about her goals for the sponsorship, Walsh replied, "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to bring the expertise of Parkinson Technologies' staff to my classroom. Math and science skills are critical in the 21st century job market, so inspiring lessons that fuel kids' passion for these subjects will open up a whole new world of opportunity for them."
Heather Tow-Yick, Executive Director of Teach For America-Rhode Island, expressed thanks to attendees for their level of commitment at the launch of the Sponsor A Teacher Program. She highlighted that the Rhode Island corps has impacted close to 10,000 students since its inception in 2010.
"The response from the Rhode Island community to our inaugural Sponsor A Teacher campaign has been outstanding," said Tow-Yick. "I'm humbled to have the strong support of Parkinson Technologies and our many individual donors in our work to ensure every child in the Ocean State, regardless of their zip code or family incomes, has access to the excellent education they deserve."
Peter Termyn, CEO of Parkinson Technologies, went on to say, "We are delighted to sponsor a teacher in a STEM field at the high school level and ultimately hope to inspire students by opening the doors of our company to show them the practical applications of these subjects."
Parkinson Technologies wishes to express their thanks to Habib and Susan Gorgi for hosting the kickoff event. It also extends a warm welcome to Callie Walsh and best wishes for her students.
About Teach For America
Teach For America works in partnership with communities to expand educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty. Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding individuals of all academic disciplines to commit two years to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the movement to end educational inequity. Today more than 10,000 corps members are teaching in 46 urban and rural regions across the country, while nearly 28,000 alumni are working across sectors to ensure that all children have access to an excellent education. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
About Parkinson Technologies Inc.
Parkinson Technologies is an industry leader in the development, design and manufacturing of web processing machinery for the plastics, nonwovens, paper and specialty materials industries. Product brands include Dusenbery® Converting Systems, Marshall and Williams Plastics casting and orientation systems, Parkinson Winders, and Key Filters extrusion melt filtration equipment. With a world-class technology lab, Parkinson Technologies also offers its customers complete flexibility to conduct plastics sheet/film extrusion and orientation R&D and to produce commercially viable marketing samples. Parkinson Technologies' customers include a broad range of companies, from venture-backed startups to Fortune 50 enterprises, all of whom demand innovative solutions to their web processing challenges. For more information, visit parkinsontechnologies.com.
