Motorola is involved in various education and innovation programs in China through its partnership with local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), a company executive said.

"Our overall strategy is to continue to improve education and create better communities everywhere with our employees work," Eileen Sweeney, director for corporate and foundation philanthropic relations at Motorola, told Xinhua in an interview in Chicago on Saturday.

Motorola Foundation, the company's philanthropic arm, recently hosted its first-ever Asia-Pac Network Grantee Conference in Shanghai, at which 30 NGOs received 821,000 U.S. dollars for local education, she said.

Such cooperation with the Chinese NGOs was fruitful, Sweeney said. "We have been involved since 1994 and have helped more than 23,000 children in China return to elementary schools. We donated more than 5 million U.S. dollars to fund 105 Motorola Hope schools in China."

While providing financial support for schools, Motorola also helped with teacher training, provided resources and scholarships for students, she added. "We want to be so much more than just writing a check."

Motorola has about 1,000 employees who volunteer for China's Project Hope, and is engaged in another education program called Career Goal, she said.

Innovation is another focus area for Motorola's philanthropic work in China, said Sweeney.

For example, Motorola funded the Mobile Lab program at the Shanghai Science Museum, which brings science into rural Chinese communities.

On Oct. 13, about 2,500 Motorola employees volunteered at 39 "Annual Global Service Day" projects in Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing and Shanghai cities.

Working with NGOs in China always leads to great ideas, she added. "It is really a privilege to be partnering with NGOs, and they make the real difference."

Source: Xinhua

Editor: Xie Fang