8/8/2019 Improving Students' STEM Skills

1/1

1601 South California Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94304650.543.4800 tel 650.543.4801 - fax

September9,2010

DearMemberofCongress:

AstheAmericaCOMPETESActawaitsreauthorizationonCapitolHill,wewantedtosharesome

thoughtsabouttheimportanceofmaintainingU.S.competitivenessbymakingstrong

investmentsinourchildrensScience,Technology,Engineering,Mathematics(STEM)education.

Wealsowantedtoletyouknowaboutanexcitingeventcelebratingwomenintechnology,

whichwilloccurthisweekendatourPaloAlto,Californiaheadquarters.

Facebookisayoung,fast-growingcompanywhosemissionistomaketheworldmoreopenand

connected.WeunderstandthattheUnitedStatesmustregainitseconomicandtechnological

leadinvestinginSTEMeducation--fromtheelementarytopost-graduatelevel--andthatthis

isvitaltoenergizingthe21stcenturyworkforce.

Withthatgoalinmind,wepartneredwithGirlsinTech,anorganizationfocusedonwomen's

achievementsintechnology,tohostourfirstjoint24-hourFacebookDeveloperGarageand

HackathononSaturday,Sept.11.DeveloperGaragesarejustliketheysound--placesto

explore,getgritty,andcollaborate.Thesegrassrootseventshappenaroundtheworldand

alwaysinvolvethelocaldevelopercommunity.Hackathonsallowdeveloperstocode

throughoutthenightandcomeupwithnewideasandconcepts.

TheshortageofstudentsenteringSTEMcareershaslongbeenrecognizedinWashington,

SiliconValley,andbeyond.AccordingtotheNationalCenterforEducationStatistics,U.S.highschoolseniorsrecentlytestedbelowtheinternationalaveragefor21countriesinmathand

scienceandfewerAmericanstudentsthaneveraregraduatingfromcollegewithmathand

sciencedegrees.Thesituationisnotmuchbetteratthehighereducationallevels.

Thesedisparitiesarestriking,especiallybecausethenationstechcommunityisconstantly

seekingtoimportadditionaltech-trainedemployeesbecauseourcountryisnotproducing

enoughofthem.Surely,wecanmakeAmericamorecompetitivebytrainingmoreAmerican

studentstofillthesedemandingandhigh-valuejobs.

ThisweekendsFacebookDeveloperGarageisonesmallwayofencouragingwomentobepartofthemorethanonemillioninnovatorsandentrepreneurswhohavebuilthundredsof

thousandsofapplicationsontheFacebookplatform.Forapeekinsidetheevent,watch

FacebookLiveat2p.m.PTonSaturdayforaspecialWomeninTechinfluencerspanel:

http://apps.facebook.com/facebooklive.

Sincerely,

TheFacebookTeam