KLA Foundation Announces Inaugural $1 Million in Education Equity Fund Grants

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KLA Corporation announced the KLA Foundation has awarded inaugural KLA Education Equity Fund grants totaling $1 million to four education-related nonprofits working to narrow the gap for underrepresented K-12 students in California and Oregon.

"Each of these organizations is bringing innovative solutions to students that will help them learn, grow and thrive," said Jen Shea, executive director, KLA Foundation. "It's hard to dispute the impact of investment in education, and we chose these organizations to receive the foundation's first KLA Equity Fund grants based on their impactful change in communities where our company has a presence."

KLA Foundation made the grants to these organizations for meeting three core values of expanding access to education, advancing emotional well-being and improving systems:

Project Invent, San Francisco: $375,000 over three years to enhance invention and entrepreneurship by preparing teachers to empower traditionally underserved students as innovators who invent technology solutions that solve real problems in their communities.

Pivotal, San Jose: $300,000 over three years to help young people in and from foster care in three California counties finish high school in a state where only 46% of youth in foster care graduate from high school; an average 74% of youth in Pivotal's program have completed high school.

Urban Ed Academy, San Francisco: $250,000 over two years for its "Man the Bay" initiative that has brought more than 25 men of color to teach 2,500 students in San Francisco and Oakland since 2018; nationally, only 1.2% of teachers are African American men.

ELSO, Inc., Portland: $100,000 over two years to build culturally responsive educational programs focusing on climate justice, STEM literacy and community resilience; the organization will apply its KLA Foundation grant to help teachers at a local elementary school bring STEM learning outdoors through its Youth Climate Justice Education Project.

For details on each organization's project and impact of KLA funding, go to KLA Advance.

The KLA Education Equity Fund is a multiyear grant program focused initially on U.S. communities where KLA has operations. The foundation plans to announce additional grants in 2024 and beyond.

"In the U.S., K-12 education has the power to lift communities and strengthen the economy," Shea said. "To fulfill this idea, the U.S. must address the needs among underrepresented students, and KLA is committed to investing in communities where we live and work."

"The KLA Foundation provides strategic partnerships with organizations through grant funding like this or by empowering KLA employees to get involved in causes that are close to their hearts," said John Van Camp, chairman of the KLA Foundation board, and KLA executive vice president and chief human resources officer. "These kinds of support programs consistently deliver meaningful impact to our communities, which we believe truly benefits us all."