Update: Facebook emailed us with the following statement from Zuckerberg. It’s only slightly different from the status update:
“Our mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected – and we need to find the best talent to get there,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO. “I had great classes and teachers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Everyone should.”
Facebook also points to this release from the White House.
Original Article: Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook support of the Change the Equation campaign. In a status update this morning, he wrote, "Our mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected – and we need to find the best talent to get there. That’s why Facebook is proud to support the launch of the Change the Equation campaign."
Change the Equation is described as a non-profit, not-partisan, CEO-led initiative to "solve America’s innovation problem." It’s led by former Intel CEO Craig Barrett, Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt, Xerox CEO Ursula Burns, Eastman Kodak CEO Antonio Perez, and Sally Ride Science CEO Sally Ride.
The organization actually has over 100 companies listed as members. Among these are Facebook, Google, Microsoft, IBM, HP, Samsung, AT&T, and Verizon.
"Across the country, businesses, educators and community leaders have created innovative programs to advance STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) literacy in the United States. But far too few of our students—especially poor students and students of color—have access to programs like these," the organization says. "Change the Equation will strive to replicate such programs in the communities that need them most."
Programs include: Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP), Engineering is Elementary, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), Intel Math, Sally Ride Science Academy, The Science Career Ladder, UTeach.
