That is why I was so proud to join world leaders this week at the Clinton Global Initiative to reaffirm Intel's commitment to global education and our commitment to work with other leading corporations, governments, NGOs, and communities to rapidly increase the number girls who received a quality education around the world.
Our commitment to date has been significant: more than 650,000 girls have been directly engaged in learning life skills and gained the ability to advocate for themselves and their communities through programs like the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network and the Intel Learn Program. Our Intel Teach Program has trained more than 8 million teachers who have each helped hundreds of children develop skills like critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration - all essential to girls finding a path from poverty to opportunity.
As Helene Gayle, the CEO of CARE stated in our discussion at CGI, "Corporations, particularly those who work around the world, recognize that investing in girls and women is good for their bottom line but it's also the right thing to do. And if we can look for real synergies and true strategic partnerships we have the chance of making long lasting change."
And on Tuesday, we took another important step in building awareness and understanding that educating and empowering girls is not only the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do, by announcing our support for the 10x10: Connect the Dots, Educate Girls, Change the World groundbreaking film and campaign. The goal of this project is to bring together NGOs, corporations and individuals who share a common commitment to empowering girls and women around the world. Take a look at the video and stay tuned for more on this important opportunity to make a difference.
Beatrice, a student in Kisumu, Kenya (and an aspiring "poetess") from The Documentary Group on Vimeo.
Suzanne Fallender is Intel’s Director of Corporate Responsibility. In this role, she collaborates with key stakeholders across the company to integrate corporate responsibility concepts into company strategies, policies, public reporting, and stakeholder engagement activities to advance Intel’s corporate responsibility leadership and create positive social impact and business value. Suzanne leads a team of experienced professionals who engage with internal and external groups to review Intel’s corporate responsibility performance and to identify new opportunities to apply Intel’s technology and expertise to address social and environmental challenges. The team also works closely with Intel’s investor relations and corporate governance groups to drive an integrated outreach strategy with investors on governance and corporate responsibility issues. Suzanne has more than 20 years of experience in the field of corporate responsibility and socially responsible investment. During her time at Intel, Suzanne has held a number of corporate responsibility-related roles, including leading programs empowering girls and women through technology. Prior to Intel, Suzanne served as Vice President at Institutional Shareholder Services where she managed the firm’s socially responsible investing division. Suzanne holds an M.B.A. from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and a B.A. from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. She has served on a number of leading industry advisory boards and committees on sustainability and corporate responsibility over the past decade and currently is a member of the Net Impact Board of Directors. Follow Suzanne on Twitter at @sfallender.