'Kariton Klasrum' Receives IBM Grant

IBM announced today the award of a ‘Catalyst Grant’ to support volunteer activities of a team of its employees at the "Kariton Klasrum" (Pushcart Classroom) program. Kariton Klasrum is an educational program and advocacy to bring the classroom to the streets with the use of pushcarts.

The program is a project of the Dynamic Teen Company (DTC), founded and headed by Efren Peñaflorida - winner of the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year Award. The USD 10,000 grant will be used to fund the actual “Kariton Klasrum” Program costs for training the teachers, procuring learning tools like desktop computers, and other supplies needed to improve curriculum/learning methods.  Part of the funds will go to the maintenance of DTC’s facility, pushcart classrooms, library, computer laboratory and activity area.

“We are honored and very happy about the successful collaboration between Kariton Kalsrum and IBM volunteers,” said Efren Penaflorida, Founder of Kariton Klasrum program and the Dynamic Teen Company. “The many unfortunate Filipino kids will certainly benefit from this grant and it will allow the Kariton Kalsrum to continue providing education to many street children in the country.”

IBM volunteers have been involved with the "Kariton Klasrum" Program since early this year, supporting its mission to make a small, yet significant difference in the lives of unschooled, labor-exploited and neglected street children. IBM employee volunteers devoted personal time to teach kids from slum areas who have no access to education, basic hygiene and sometimes, even love from their families.

To date, over 100 IBMers have already volunteered, rendering more or less 1,200 community service hours from March to June 2011 in the poor areas of Cavite City.

IBM participates in numerous volunteer opportunities in local communities in an effort to apply IBMers’ professional skills to support and aid in local issues. The program, designed for employees, retirees and business partners, was put in place to lend time and support to local community organizations during the company’s Centennial year.

"IBM has a deep 100-year heritage of making substantive contribution to communities. We are pleased that as we approach our 75th anniversary in the Philippines next year, our local employees have stepped up in giving back to the community by applying their professional skills for social causes,” said Chestnut Andaya, Country Manager for Marketing, Communications, Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs, IBM Philippines.

The Dynamic Teen Company (DTC) is a group of concerned young people with a mission of making a small yet significant difference in other people’s lives, particularly the small children in slum areas who have no access to education, basic hygiene and sometimes, even love from their families.

'Kariton Klasrum' Program Receives IBM Grant 

About the IBM Grants

The IBM Catalyst Grant is one of three types of grants made available to IBM employees (IBMers) throughout the world to commemorate the company’s 100-year anniversary. Only 100 Catalyst Grants, each worth USD 10,000 are awarded to IBMers to fund impactful community service projects. IBM Corporation celebrated its centennial celebration on June 16.

To celebrate the centennial and build on IBM's long tradition of community service, tens of thousands of IBMers around the world are volunteering their time and talent throughout 2011 in support of smarter planet initiatives. These efforts make up a global 'Celebration of Service' (http://www.ibm.com/ibm100/service) in which IBMers get out into their communities and apply their expertise to the most pressing civic challenges and societal needs.

Details of the IBM grants available in 2011 are below:

• Centennial Grants are USD 100,000 awards to fund projects that apply IBM's smarter planet strategies to community service. IBM is making ten Centennial grants available in 2011 through employees, to apply to the organizations with which they volunteer.
• Catalyst Grants provide USD 10,000 to support projects by volunteer teams that apply their professional skills or improve their communities' sustainability. There are 100 Catalyst grants available in 2011 through employees, to apply to the organizations with which they volunteer.
• Community Grants are awards of USD 500 to USD 5,000 in cash or USD 1,000 to USD 7,500 in technology for individual or team projects that give back to the community with or without the use of an IBM solution or technology. IBM employees and retirees qualify for Community grants based on the number of volunteer hours and number of people volunteering.

To learn more about IBM's Centennial or the 'Kariton Klasrum' Program, please visit: www.ibm100.com. To learn more about IBM's corporate citizenship initiatives, please visit: http://www.ibm.com/blogs/citizen-ibm