Joe Tucci on EMC Philanthropy

Supporting math and science education

Improving the quality of education is a major focus area for EMC, and we strongly support programs that encourage students to pursue careers in math and science. Accordingly, EMC supports creative math and science programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. We donate and encourage the use of computer technology to augment classroom teaching, sponsor intensive teacher training and development, and support regional and national math, science, and engineering competitions.

Following an Education Summit hosted by EMC in 2003, in conjunction with the release of a report, "Fueling the Pipeline: Attracting and Educating Math and Science Students", EMC established the first Massachusetts Mathematics Institute. The MMI is a professional development program for elementary school teachers. Now in its fourth year, MMI, together with a host of investments in schools in many regions of our country, are making real progress at improving math and science education and raising student achievement in these fields of study.

On a national level, I was fortunate enough to chair The Business Roundtable’s Education and the Workforce Task Force for over four years. The Roundtable, a Washington, DC-based organization of 150 of the Fortune 200 CEOs, plays a major role in supporting education reform and US competitiveness within the business community, in Congress, with the Administration, and throughout the country. In 2005, our Task Force released a statement, Tapping America’s Potential: The Education for Innovation Initiative, which was signed by the Presidents of the major national business organizations. This statement reflects the desire of the Task Force to have the national business community speak with one voice on the critical need to improve U.S. competitiveness in science, technology, engineering, and math education.

Recently, I was offered the honor of co-chairing Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s committee on reforming the State’s education system alongside Boston Public Schools superintendent Thomas Payzant, and Wheelock College President Jackie Jenkins-Scott. "The Readiness Project: From Cradle to Career" focuses on discovering the problems and weaknesses in Massachusett’s educational system, proposing a plan of action, and then implementing these strategies for improvement.

In June 2007 at the Santa Clara, California office, EMC became the first company to host the Department of Education’s Teacher-to-Teacher conference on both coasts, as we hosted one in Hopkinton in 2006. The workshop at EMC brought together K-12 public, private, and charter school math and science teachers from northern California and nine states to learn from some of the nation’s top educators.

In July 2007, EMC hosted the Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings at the fourth of five regional higher education summits. The summit, which was attended by education leaders from across New England, was designed to expand on initiatives by the U.S. federal government that seek to improve education in math and science. The initiatives will also provide students and their families with more information about and more affordable access to higher education.

Investing in community

In addition, EMC invests in its local communities, especially to strengthen public safety, improve the lives of disadvantaged children and their families, and fund the arts.

Our goal is to be socially responsible and responsive. We know that advantages bring corresponding responsibilities, and we will continue to work to be an involved corporate citizen and thoughtful neighbor in our local and global communities.

Joseph M. Tucci
Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer