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>> MINORITY COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO MAJOR IN S.T.E.M.
FIELDS -- SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND
MATH -- EARN AT LEAST 25% MORE THAN THEIR PEERS WHO
STUDY HUMANITIES OR EDUCATION, ACCORDING TO ONE
STUDY. AND YET THE PERCENTAGE OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS EARNING S.T.E.M. DEGREES HAS
FALLEN OVER THE LAST DECADE. THE FIRST EVER S.T.E.M.
FESTIVAL WHICH TAKES PLACE SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22nd AT
THE ALBUQUERQUE CONVENTION CENTER, IS LOOKING TO CHANGE
THAT STORY. I SAT DOWN WITH MEMBERS OF
THE NEW MEXICO BLACK HISTORY MONTH ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
TO TALK ABOUT THE EVENT, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING
MORE MINORITY STUDENTS TO CONSIDER S.T.E.M. AS THEY
LOOK TOWARDS COLLEGE. >> WE'RE HERE WITH THERESA
CARSON FROM SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES.
ALSO LT. COLONEL ANTOINETTE GANT, DISTRICT COMMANDER
WITH THE U.S. ARMY CORP. OF ENGINEERS.
AND PRESTON JACKSON, PROGRAM MANAGER WITH INTEL
CORPORATION. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING
HERE. AN EVENT COMING UP SOON --
THERESA, GOOD TO SEE YOU, BY THE WAY.
IT'S BEEN A LOT OF YEARS. >> GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> YOU'RE STILL DOING SOMETHING THAT'S VERY
IMPORTANT, AND THAT IS, GETTING THE IDEA OF MINORITY
STUDENTS BETTER ACCLIMATED AND INTO S.T.E.M. EDUCATION
PURPOSES. THERE'S AN EVENT COMING UP
THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT, BUT LET'S TAKE IT
RIGHT FROM THE TOP, THOUGH. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO GET
MORE AFRICAN-AMERICAN YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN AND OTHER
MINORITIES KIDS INTO S.T.E.M. EDUCATION?
WHAT'S THE GOAL HERE? >> THE GOAL IS DEFINITELY
EXPOSURE. WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THE
TOP POSITIONS ARE GOING TO BE IN THAT S.T.E.M. FIELD.
AND SO WE DON'T WANT TO BE LEFT BEHIND.
SO THEREFORE, OUR CHILDREN NEED TO BE AS COMPETITIVE AS
EVERYONE ELSE. HAVING THESE OPPORTUNITIES
TO HAVE PROGRAMS LIKE THE S.T.E.M. FESTIVAL THAT'S
COMING UP, AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS, FOR INSTANCE, LIKE
SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES IS DOING AS IT RELATES TO
KIND OF S.T.E.M. EXPOSURE IS VERY CRITICAL.
AND FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS, ESPECIALLY HERE, WE HAVE
SUCH A SMALL POPULATION HERE WITHIN ALBUQUERQUE, AND SO
IT BECOMES EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO ME.
LIKE WE HAVE OUR HANDS-ON/MINDS-ON TECHNOLOGY
PROGRAM, WHICH IS REALLY TARGETED TOWARD
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN, BUT WE HAVE OTHER PROGRAMS,
AS WELL, THAT ARE TARGETED TO OTHER MINORITY STUDENTS.
FOR INSTANCE, OUR DREAM CATCHERS, AS WELL AS THE
MANOS PROGRAM, AS WELL. SO IT'S JUST VERY IMPORTANT
THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS REPRESENTED.
>> LET ME STAY WITH YOU ANOTHER QUICK SECOND.
LET'S START WITH, WE'VE GOT S.T.E.M., AND LET'S TALK
ABOUT THE LAST, WHICH IS MATH, WHICH IS THE
FOUNDATION OF ALL. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S
BECOME CLEAR IN A LOT OF STUDIES, A LOT OF THINGS YOU
READ ABOUT, ABOUT HOW STUDENTS EITHER EXCEL AT
S.T.E.M. OR NOT, IS THE IDEA TO GET THEM INVOLVED IN MATH
QUICKLY, EARLY, YOUNG, MIDDLE SCHOOL OR YOUNGER.
IN YOUR RESEARCH, WHAT DOES THAT DO FOR A KID LATER IN
THEIR CHANCES OF BEING A S.T.E.M. PERSON, SO TO
SPEAK? IS IT EVERYTHING? >> IT REALLY IS, BECAUSE I
MEAN, THERE'S MATH IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IN OUR
EVERYDAY LIFE. AND SO BY GIVING THEM THAT
ADVANTAGE, AND THEM BEING PROFICIENT AT MATH, IT HELPS
TO OPEN MANY, MANY DOORS FOR ALL CHILDREN.
>> THANK YOU, AND THERE'S SOMETHING IN THIS FOR SANDIA
AS WELL, THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A QUICK SECOND, BUT
THERE'S SOMETHING ALSO IN THIS FOR INTEL, ISN'T THERE,
PRESTON? >> YES.
>> YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A LOT OF INTERESTING WORK WORKING
WITH KIDS AT THIS AGE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TO GET THEM ON
THE PATH FOR S.T.E.M. TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE
BIT. >> SO LOCALLY WE HAVE THREE
INTEL COMPUTER CLUBHOUSES THAT WE ACTUALLY FOCUS ON
THE S.T.E.M., AND THE NICE THING ABOUT THE COMPUTER
CLUBHOUSES IS THAT THEY'RE IN NEIGHBORHOODS,
UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY PUTTING THE CLUBHOUSES WHERE THEY
CAN PROVIDE THE MOST SERVICE, AND ALSO ENCOURAGE
THE MOST MINORITIES TO, YOU KNOW, PICK UP THE S.T.E.M.
FIELDS. AND THE BERNALILLO COMPUTER
CLUBHOUSE WILL BE AT THE S.T.E.M. EVENT ON SATURDAY.
>> GOOD DEAL. >> SO WE DEFINITELY WANT TO
REALLY ENCOURAGE ALL STUDENTS TO -- ONE OF THE
GOALS THAT WE HAVE AT INTEL IS THAT WE WANT TO INSPIRE
ALL STUDENTS TO GET INVOLVED AND PURSUE S.T.E.M. CAREERS
AS A YOUNG AGE. >> INTERESTINGLY, AS I READ
IT, AS WELL, IT'S A LONG HAUL FOR A S.T.E.M. DEGREE,
DEPENDING ON WHAT YOUR TRACK IS.
PH.D. CAN BE A LONG TIME. POST DOC WORK, ANOTHER YEAR
AFTER THAT. IT'S A LONG TIME BEFORE YOU
CAN GET TO THE MARKET, SO TO SPEAK.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE ACCOMPLISHING WITH THESE
CLUBS, SO TO SPEAK? IS IT SOMETHING EXTRA BEYOND
LEARNING THAT YOU'RE GIVING THESE STUDENTS THAT WILL
SORT OF BULLETPROOF THEM FOR LATER IN LIFE?
>> SO WE'RE PROVIDING THEM THAT SUPPORT SYSTEM, AND
ALSO WE'RE CHANGING THE, YOU KNOW, THE IMAGE OF WHAT
S.T.E.M. STUDENTS LOOK LIKE. BACK IN THE DAY -- I'M A
LITTLE BIT OLDER, SO BACK IN THE DAY, YOU KNOW, THE
AVERAGE SCIENCE OR ENGINEERING STUDENT, YOU
KNOW, THEY HAD THE POCKET PROTECTOR AND THE GLASSES.
NOW WE WANT TO MAKE S.T.E.M. COOL, SO THAT'S WHY WE WANT
TO HAVE THE COMPUTER CLUBHOUSES, THE INTEL
COMPUTER CLUBHOUSES IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, AND REALLY
CHANGE THAT PERCEPTION. SO YOU HAVE A NETWORK, A
COMMUNITY OF STUDENTS THAT ARE LEARNING AND INTERESTED
IN GETTING MOTIVATED WITH S.T.E.M.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE FOUND OUT, TOO, IS THAT WE
HAVE THE STAY-WITH-IT PROGRAM, THAT INTEL IS A
SPONSOR OF, WHERE WE ACTUALLY -- WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE DATA, YOU HAVE 14%, THE STUDY SHOW, OF THE MAJORS IN
THE UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION THAT ARE IN THE S.T.E.M.
FIELDS, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND OUT
WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE STUDIES AND THE DATA, TOO,
IS THAT AT THAT 14% RATE OF THE STUDENTS THAT ARE TAKING
S.T.E.M., YOU HAVE A 40% ATTRITION AFTER THE FIRST
YEAR. SO THE STAY-WITH-IT PROGRAM
IS GEARED TO, AGAIN, PROVIDE THAT COMMUNITY OF NETWORKS,
OF STUDENTS THAT CAN PULL TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY, AND
AT StayWithIt.org, THEY ACTUALLY PROVIDE RESOURCES
THAT WILL ENABLE STUDENTS THAT ARE IN THE S.T.E.M.
FIELDS TO COME TOGETHER AND CREATE THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES
TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER. >> THAT'S RIGHT, AND THAT
SEEMS CRITICAL, LT. COLONEL GANT, BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO
ME -- ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS READING ABOUT IS ONE
OF THE PROBLEMS INSIDE THAT 40% RATE THAT PRESTON WAS
JUST TALKING ABOUT, THAT DROP-OUT, IS ISOLATION.
A LOT OF TIMES AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN YOUNG MAN
OR YOUNG WOMAN IS THE ONLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN IN THEIR
PEER GROUP IN THESE STUDY PROGRAMS, AND IT CREATES A
VERY BIG DIFFICULTY FOR A LOT OF FOLKS AND WHICH
CONTRIBUTES TO THAT. DID YOU FIND THAT, AS WELL,
WHEN YOU WERE COMING UP THROUGH YOUR EDUCATION, THAT
ISOLATION WAS AN ISSUE? >> WELL, ACTUALLY, I DIDN'T.
I GRADUATED WITH A CIVIL ENGINEERING DEGREE FROM
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY, WHICH IS A HISTORICALLY
BLACK COLLEGE IN TEXAS. SO EVERYBODY WAS THERE FOR
THE SAME PURPOSE, AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME PRAIRIE
VIEW WAS KNOWN AS ONE OF THE TOP SCHOOLS THAT PRODUCED
ENGINEERS. SO WE HAD GROUPS, OURSELVES,
INTERNALLY THAT ACTUALLY MET TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE ALL
GETTING IT, YOU KNOW. IF YOU DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE
C-COBALT, OR WHATEVER WAS GOING ON, OR THE NETWORKING
FROM THE ELECTRICAL SIDE, THERE WAS A FRIEND THAT
ACTUALLY KNEW THAT PIECE OF IT, OR IF SOMEBODY THAT
DIDN'T KNOW THE STATISTICS, THERE WAS ANOTHER FRIEND
THAT ACTUALLY KNEW THAT PORTION.
BUT THE GOAL WAS THAT EVERYBODY ACTUALLY
UNDERSTOOD AND WAS GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND BE AN
ENGINEER. >> SURE.
GO BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT, IF YOU COULD, AND TALK ABOUT
YOUR EARLY DAYS, MEANING I'M CURIOUS WHEN YOU KNEW
YOURSELF, OR WHEN YOUR FOLKS KNEW.
5th GRADE, 6th GRADE, SOMEWHERE AROUND IN THERE?
>> NO, FOR ME, IT WAS NOT THAT EARLY.
I GREW UP IN A HOUSE WHERE MY MOTHER WAS A BIOLOGY,
CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS TEACHER, SO I KNEW I WANTED
TO GO INTO THE SCIENCE FIELD.
BUT WHAT HAPPENED WAS, ONE OF MY MOTHER'S STUDENTS
ACTUALLY WORKED FOR THE CORP. OF ENGINEERS,
IRONICALLY, AND THAT'S WHO I ACTUALLY AM A DISTRICT
COMMANDER FOR, AND SHE CAME IN AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT SHE
DID AS A CIVIL ENGINEER, AND THE BIGGEST THING THAT
STRUCK ME WAS THAT IT WAS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE
COMMUNITY. AND SO FROM THAT STANDPOINT,
I SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M FROM A SMALL TOWN, I COULD COME
BACK AND ACTUALLY PROVIDE SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVEN'T
EVER SEEN BEFORE. AND SO FROM THAT, I DECIDED
I'M GOING TO BE A CIVIL ENGINEER.
>> SURE. >> DID I REALIZE A CIVIL
ENGINEER IN THE MILITARY? MAYBE NOT.
THAT WAS NOT IN THE PLAN AT THE TIME.
BUT IT'S AMAZING HOW, YOU KNOW, WE GO ON PATHS THAT WE
DIDN'T KNOW FOR OURSELVES WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE.
BUT IT HAS ENDED UP BEING A GREAT SUCCESS.
>> FUNNY ABOUT PLANS, ISN'T IT? YOU NEVER KNOW.
THERESA CARSON, LET'S PRETEND THERE ARE SOME YOUNG
PEOPLE WATCHING THIS SHOW. THEY SEE THIS GROUP.
THEY WANT TO BE INVOLVED. THERE'S THE EVENT.
BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT A CAREER PATH, YOU THINK ABOUT
YOUR LIFE AND HOW YOU FIT INTO THE WORLD.
I APPRECIATE WHAT LT. COLONEL GANT JUST SAID.
YOU HAVE TO KIND OF SEE YOURSELF IN A PLACE IN THE
WORLD, THAT CONFIDENCE. RIGHT?
TO FEEL LIKE YOU BELONG THERE IN A CERTAIN CAPACITY.
IS THAT, IN FACT, WHAT THIS EVENT IS TRYING TO GET AT,
AS WELL? >> IT REALLY IS, AND NOT
ONLY WITH REGARDS TO JUST HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO
MEET OTHERS WHO EVEN LOOK LIKE YOU WITH REGARDS TO IN
THESE PARTICULAR FIELDS -- >> THAT'S NO SMALL THING
WHEN IT'S 3%. >> EXACTLY, SO THAT'S
REALLY, REALLY CRITICAL. SO WE WILL HAVE A CAREER
S.T.E.M. PANEL THAT WILL BE THERE, AND THEY'LL BE
TALKING ABOUT THEIR PARTICULAR JOURNEY WITH
REGARDS TO THEIR VARIOUS S.T.E.M. FIELDS; ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERS, MECHANICAL ENGINEERS, VARYING KINDS OF
SCIENTISTS. TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY
DID IT, AND YOU CAN DO IT, TOO, AND THAT'S REALLY
CRITICAL FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO HAVE THAT
OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND TALK WITH OTHERS THAT HAVE MADE
THAT JOURNEY AND HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
>> LET ME JUMP BACK OVER TO YOU, LT. COLONEL GANT,
SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.
YOU WENT TO A HISTORICALLY BLACK UNIVERSITY.
A LOT OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS DON'T GET TO DO
THAT, SO THEY DON'T GET TO STAND IN FRONT OF TEACHERS
THAT LOOK LIKE THEM. WAS THAT A CRITICAL PIECE OF
YOUR GROWTH, AS WELL, BEING ABLE TO SEE TEACHERS THAT
LOOK LIKE YOU, SO TO SPEAK? >> I THINK IT HELPS IN ANY
JOURNEY THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY TAKING, BECAUSE THEY ARE
THERE TO ENCOURAGE YOU. WHAT I DIDN'T MENTION IS
THAT I ACTUALLY GOT MY MASTERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY
OF MISSOURI SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, SO THERE AGAIN
I'M IN A POSITION WHERE I AM IN A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE
DON'T LOOK LIKE ME, AND I AM ONE OF THE VERY FEW.
BUT BEING AT A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE TO GET MY
FOUNDATION ALLOWED ME TO KNOW AND FEEL THAT NO MATTER
WHERE I AM, I'M JUST AS COMPETITIVE.
I CAN ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING THAT ANYBODY ELSE CAN DO.
AND IT'S NOT ABOUT SKIN COLOR, IT'S ABOUT BEING ABLE
TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THE SKILLS AND ABILITY TO
PERFORM. >> SEE, I LIKE THAT
CONFIDENCE, THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES IN THIS WORLD, AND
THAT'S WHERE INTEL COMES IN, TOO.
ACTUALLY, YOU GUYS ARE BUILDING CONFIDENCE WHEN YOU
TALK ABOUT THOSE PROGRAMS THAT YOU ARE DOING.
>> YES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE AT INTEL WANTED TO
HAVE THE STUDENTS THAT ARE IN S.T.E.M. FIELDS IS HAVE
THAT CRITICAL THINKING, PROBLEM SOLVING, AND ALSO
COLLABORATION SKILLS. ALL OF THOSE THINGS AT A
YOUNG AGE GIVE YOU THE CONFIDENCE TO REALLY PURSUE
THAT S.T.E.M. FIELD AND STUDIES, BUT ALSO CONFIDENCE
IN LIFE. SOME OF THOSE THINGS,
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO CRITICAL THINKING AND
SYSTEMIC THINKING, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT, YES, YOU NEED
FOR S.T.E.M., BUT THEY HELP YOU IN YOUR LIFE, AS WELL.
>> THAT'S RIGHT, AND THAT'S TRUE FOR EVERYBODY, NO
MATTER WHAT YOU'RE DOING FOR WORK, IT'S THOSE TWO THINGS
YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT. IT DOESN'T MATTER.
IF YOU'RE AN ARTIST, YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT,
ABSOLUTELY. WE'VE JUST GOT A COUPLE OF
MINUTES LEFT ON THIS, BUT THERESA, I'M CURIOUS, AS I
MENTIONED IN OUR SETUP TO THIS, THE NUMBERS ARE
ACTUALLY FALLING THE LAST DECADE.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ACTIVITY.
I WON'T EXPECT THAT TO HOLD. I THINK EFFORTS LIKE THIS
WILL ACTUALLY MAKE THOSE NUMBERS GO UP.
BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE A WHILE, ISN'T IT?
>> IT IS GOING TO TAKE A WHILE.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE COMMITMENT, PARTICULARLY FOR
NEW MEXICO. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
BARRIERS THAT YOU SEE SPECIFICALLY IN NEW MEXICO
THAT WE NEED TO OVERCOME HERE FOR MINORITY KIDS TO
GET INTO S.T.E.M. FIELDS? >> I THINK THAT ONE OF THE
BARRIERS IS JUST SOMETIMES THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT
CAREERS, YOU KNOW. WE HAVE A TENDENCY SOMETIMES
OF THINKING THAT SOME OF THE BETTER JOBS ARE BEING A
LAWYER, AN ACCOUNTANT, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, AND THAT
HOLDS TRUE FOR ME BEING A BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL,
MYSELF. BUT BECAUSE OF THE FACT
THAT -- YOU KNOW, WE ARE A NATION OF INNOVATORS, AND
THEREFORE WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE OUR MINDSET WITH
REGARDS TO THE NEW FIELDS. AND S.T.E.M. IS NOT NEW,
HOWEVER THEY ARE GOING TO BE OUR TOP FIELD.
AND WITH REGARD TO ALL THE GLOBALIZATION THAT WE
CURRENTLY HAVE, AND THE NATION'S PROBLEMS THAT WE
HAVE TO SOLVE, S.T.E.M. IS A PART OF OUR EVERYDAY LIFE.
WE NEED TO DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE OUR STUDENTS AND
YOUNG PEOPLE TO GO INTO THESE S.T.E.M. FIELDS, AND
ALSO TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT IT.
AND LIKE I HAD SHARED WITH YOU EARLIER, I DON'T THINK
IT'S EVER TOO EARLY TO START GETTING CHILDREN EXPOSED TO
S.T.E.M. FIELDS, AND JUST ACTIVITIES RELATED TO
S.T.E.M., SO THAT THEY CAN START DEVELOPING THOSE
SKILLS AND THOSE CONFIDENCES AS THEY RELATE TO
PROBLEM-SOLVING AND CRITICAL THINKING.
>> LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION, AND MAYBE FOR ALL
OF YOU GUYS. IT'S BECOMING A THING IN
SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD TO GET KIDS AS YOUNG AS 2nd
GRADE TO START CODING, JUST RIGHT AWAY, BEFORE THEY EVEN
KNOW ANY BETTER, THAT THIS IS NERDY OR NOT.
JUST TO MAKE IT NATURAL. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF
SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR NEW MEXICO?
LIKE THAT EARLY. EVEN GIVEN ALL THE POLITICAL
STUFF WE TALKED ABOUT IN EDUCATION, EARLY CHILDHOOD
READING, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, IS THAT TOO
AGGRESSIVE FOR NEW MEXICO IN YOUR VIEW?
>> I DO NOT THINK SO. I THINK WE SHOULD PURSUE IT.
I DON'T THINK ANYTHING IS TOO AGGRESSIVE, BECAUSE I
THINK OTHER COUNTRIES ARE DOING IT, WE SHOULD BE DOING
IT, TOO. >> DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT,
PRESTON? >> YES, AND ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT I WANTED TO SAY HERE IS, AT INTEL WE
DEFINITELY SUPPORT CODING AT A YOUNG AGE.
WHEN WE GO TO CONFERENCES AND WE HAVE OUR EDUCATIONAL
CONTENT, WE ACTUALLY HAVE INTEL PROGRAMS AND CONTENT
THAT HELPS TEACHERS DEVELOP THE SKILL FOR CODING.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO MENTION, TOO, AS
FAR AS THE EDUCATIONAL S.T.E.M. PROGRAMS IS THAT
INTEL ACTUALLY HAS CONTENT IN ALL 50 STATES RELATED TO
S.T.E.M. WE ARE A BIG SUPPORTER IN
EDUCATION. OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS,
WE'VE ACTUALLY INVESTED OVER A BILLION DOLLARS IN
SUPPORTING EDUCATION SERVICES FOR THE WORLD.
INTEL IS A GLOBAL COMPANY, AND WE ACTUALLY ARE DOING
THESE TYPES OF CODING, AND THE COMPUTER CLUBHOUSES THAT
I MENTIONED EARLIER, THEY'RE GLOBAL.
THEY'RE NOT JUST U.S. CENTRIC.
WE ARE A GLOBAL COMPANY, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WE FOCUS ON, BECAUSE WE WANT TO GIVE OUR YOUTH THE
SKILLS THEY NEED TO SOLVE THE CHALLENGES, THE GLOBAL
CHALLENGES. THEY NEED THAT TO BE
SUCCESSFUL, AND WE NEED THAT TO BE SUCCESSFUL AS A
SOCIETY. >> RIGHT.
>> SO WE DO HAVE THAT GLOBAL APPROACH, AND THOSE ARE A
COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE.
>> AND THAT GOES TO YOUR POINT ABOUT BEING A
CHANGE-MAKER IN THE WORLD, IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT.
IT'S IMPORTANT. >> I WANTED TO BRING UP ONE
OTHER THING THAT WE DO AT THE CORP. OF ENGINEERS.
IN APRIL, THERE'S TAKE YOUR CHILD TO WORK DAY.
IT STARTED AS TAKE YOUR DAUGHTER TO WORK, BUT WE
INCORPORATED TAKE YOUR CHILD TO WORK, AND WE EVEN START
AS YOUNG AS KINDERGARTEN. I MEAN, WE HAVE SOME BABIES
THAT ACTUALLY COME, AS WELL. BUT WE TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY
TO DEVELOP ACTIVITIES FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE AREAS AND
THOSE AGE GROUPS TO STIMULATE THEIR BRAIN, TO
GET THEM TO ACTUALLY SEE, OH, MY GOSH, I'M ACTUALLY
DOING SOMETHING, AND GET EXCITED ABOUT IT.
AND THERE AGAIN BEGINS THE BUILDING OF, YOU KNOW,
MAKING THE ENGINEERS, THE BIOLOGISTS, THE
MATHEMATICIANS THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
SO IT DOES, AS THERESA HAS STATED, IT DOESN'T MATTER
WHAT AGE. I THINK WE START AS EARLY AS
WE CAN IN GETTING THEM TO JUST FEEL AND UNDERSTAND
THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITIES, AND STIMULATE
THAT BRAIN TO DOING THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF OUTSIDE THE
BOX THAT SOME PEOPLE JUST DON'T NORMALLY DO.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT. JUST BRINGING A KID INTO THE
ROOM, AS THEY SAY, IS A BIG DEAL.
IT'S ALL EMOTIONAL INTAKE, THAT I CAN BELONG HERE, I
CAN BE OKAY HERE, I CAN FUNCTION HERE.
ONE MORE PLUG FOR THE EVENT AND WE HAVE GOT TO RUN.
BUT THIS IS VERY EXCITING. SO, WHEN? WHERE?
AND HOW CAN PEOPLE GO? CAN ANYBODY GO TO THIS?
>> ANYONE CAN GO. IT'S OPEN TO EVERYONE.
IT'S GOING TO BE AT THE ALBUQUERQUE CONVENTION
CENTER ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22nd.
IT WILL START AT 8:30, AND IT WILL END AT 3:00.
>> THAT'S A GOOD LONG DAY, I APPRECIATE IT.
>> WE'RE VERY EXCITED. >> THAT'S RIGHT.
THERESA CARSON FROM SANDIA, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
LT. COLONEL ANTOINETTE GANT, DISTRICT COMMANDER OF THE
U.S. ARMY CORP. OF ENGINEERS.
AND PRESTON JACKSON, PROGRAM MANAGER WITH INTEL, THANK
YOU ALL. IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT EVENT.
>> THANK YOU. >> IT'S GOING TO BE ANNUAL,
BY THE WAY? >> YES, IT IS.
>> I JUST WANTED TO SAY, MAYBE WE'LL SIT DOWN AND DO
THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR. >> THAT WILL BE GREAT.
>> LOOK FORWARD TO IT. >> ABSOLUTELY.