Microsoft highlights its corporate citizenship and positive role in the economy in a pair of Washington, DC events

Two events held last week in the Washington, DC region highlighted Microsoft’s strong track record with empowering youth and strengthening the economy.

YouthSpark Connection Breakfast

At Microsoft’s Innovation and Policy Center on K St. in downtown DC, YouthSpark Connection Breakfast keynote speakers Fred Humphries, Microsoft VP of US Government Affairs, and the District of Columbia’s Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Victor Hoskins welcomed local community leaders to learn about YouthSpark, Microsoft’s newest initiative designed to close the youth achievement gap in education, employment, and entrepreneurship, and serving youth by providing them with enhanced technology and business training to help them pursue additional education, obtain employment or start a new business or social venture.

Deputy Mayor Victor Hoskins (top) and Microsoft’s VP of Government Affairs, Fred Humphries (bottom), addressing the YouthSpark Connection Breakfast.

About 100 attendees then heard Martha Ross, a Fellow at the Brookings Institution, share her research addressing education and workforce strategies to keep the economy competitive. In partnership, Microsoft and Brookings are exploring answers to the question, “What are we doing to address the skills gap and prepare our students to enter and excel in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields?”

Microsoft’s director of east coast public affairs Donna Woodall then moderated a panel of business, education, and community leaders including Jim Dinegar, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, Michelle Didero, a City Year Corps member, Emily Durso, Assistant Superintendent of Post-Secondary and Career Tech Education, and Irasema Salcido, founder of Cesar Chavez Schools and the DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative.

Panel discussion at the Microsoft Innovation and Policy Center. Microsoft’s Andrea Taylor, far right.

The event concluded with a presentation about YouthSpark by another Microsoft public affairs director, Andrea Taylor, and Microsoft Education’s Andrew Ko, who cited recent success stories of the YouthSpark initiatives like TEALS currently running in the greater DC region.

Following the event, Microsoft’s Innovation and Policy Center interviewed Martha Ross of Brookings:

[View:https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9voiqQvzFvGWcZsRof15aKRb9xfc1iwi&v=gdFa03CDSUY&feature=player_embedded]

They also spoke with panelist Irasema Salcido, founder of the Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy and the DC Promise Initiative:

[View:https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qLUoNvCd_-U]

And finally, City Year Corps Member Michelle Didero spoke with my colleagues about the importance of STEM education:

[View:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV8Z2p6aHYk&feature=player_embedded]

Blacks at Microsoft

Almost simultaneously, about five miles across town at Microsoft’s building in Chevy Chase, MD, a group named Blacks at Microsoft (a 22-year-old social network within the company) was kicking off the annual Minority Student Day it puts on, with host Rodney Beverly of Microsoft’s public sector platform evangelism group. In attendance were approximately 100 high school students aspiring to learn more about the technology industry and how technology is affecting everyone’s lives.

Washington DC-area students patiently await the Mayor and other speakers at Microsoft’s Chevy Chase office building.

Microsoft’s Rodney Beverly, co-president of Blacks at Microsoft and host of Minority Student Day 2013.

Perhaps the largest theme I picked up on as I sat listening in the back of the room was that no matter what your passion in life is – sales, art, design, marketing, sports – that technology will be a component of it in the future. That may be an obvious point to the readers of this blog, but to a high school student not necessarily from the best part of town that may be a call to action to step it up and learn more.

Mayor Vincent Gray joined the group for a morning keynote talk, in which he sang Microsoft’s praises, not only for being a long-time leader in the technology industry, but also for leadership in its public affairs, and specifically helping to bridge the digital divide in the District and elsewhere around the U.S. and the world. “The day will come when a command of technology will be like using a pencil or a pen,” he said to the students, suggesting that Microsoft and other tech companies have a large role to play in the future of education and society in the years to come.

Washington, DC Mayor Vincent Gray with students at Microsoft’s Minority Student Day, designed to inspire students about technology and their careers.

The Mayor also gave a big shoutout to 1776, the new entrepreneurs hangout, tech startup accelerator, and all-around education and events facility for DC startupland that opened near 15th and M St., NW just a short time ago. He even went so far as to say his office would act as an internal broker to help get students, as part of his Summer Youth Employment Program, summer jobs with tech firms (some of which presumably would be affiliated with 1776).

“The fact that you are here today is a smart decision by everyone in this room,” the Mayor said as he was wrapping up. I couldn’t agree more.