Sta. Clara Catholic Charities, Google.org beef up youth STEM program

WATCH: Sta. Clara Catholic Charities and Google team up for science, technology, engineering, math program for underserved youth. INQUIRER/Vic Valbuena Bareng

SAN JOSE, California – Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, the leading multi-service agency serving individuals and families in need for more than 62 years, and the philanthropic team Google.org announced a grant to support STEM work at Anne Darling Elementary on Friday, March 2, 2018.

The grant will help improve Catholic Charities’ CORAL (Communities Organizing Resources to Advance Learning) STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) program. CORAL is a K-8 expanded learning program that focuses on improving academic achievement through literacy and homework support.

The program seeks to improve the academic achievement of local youth through out-of-school programs that involve students, families, schools, and community-based organizations. It is offered at 22 sites across San Jose, California.

Since 2003, Catholic Charities has been addressing the learning gap among Santa Clara County’s most under-resourced students.

“We serve nearly 3,000 children each day in our after-school programs located in the most disadvantaged areas of San Jose. Participating in CORAL can change the trajectory of these students’ lives,” said Gregory R. Kepferle, CEO of Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County. “But we need new tools and partners to prepare them for jobs in Silicon Valley. This grant from Google will make a huge impact for the students.”

Google is supporting Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, Santa Clara County’s largest multi-service agency, for the first time.

“Google has a long history of powering change through its technology, human capital, and funding. Supporting Catholic Charities, a respected change-agent serving so many families, helps us maximize our impact,” said Adrian Schurr, Google.org’s Bay Area Giving Manager.