TEANECK, N.J., Sept. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) will announce the company's Making the Future education initiative, focused on inspiring in children a passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), at the World Maker Faire, a celebration of invention, creativity, and do-it-yourself (DIY) culture, taking place Sept. 17-18, 2011, at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) in Queens, N.Y. As part of this initiative, Cognizant will also announce the creation of a permanent Cognizant Maker Space at the New York Hall of Science.
"On the site of the 1964 New York World's Fair, a time of the nascent Space Age with its vista of promise, I am excited to share Cognizant's vision for Making the Future, our program for investing in STEM education," said Cognizant's D'Souza, who is also on the NYSCI board of trustees. "The space age inspired my generation to study math and science, and fueled a nation's competitive and innovative spirit. We plan to invest in a new generation of innovation, through an education system that ignites in children the joy of learning and a passion for making, building and creating things."
Cognizant CEO and President Francisco D'Souza will speak about Cognizant's commitment to STEM education as part of a distinguished panel on "Making, Education, and Innovation" on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 1:00pm, where experts will discuss the impact that making can have on education and innovation in the U.S. In addition to D'Souza, the panel will feature:
- Tom Kalil, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and an outstanding champion for the maker movement and its potential benefit to the U.S.;
- Dr. Margaret Honey, CEO of NYSCI and a widely recognized expert on how digital technologies can support children's learning across the STEM disciplines; and
- Panel moderator Dale Dougherty, founder of MAKE Magazine, creator of Maker Faire, co-founder of O'Reilly Media and one of the acknowledged leaders of the maker movement.
About Making the Future
The mission of Cognizant's Making the Future education initiative is to invest in new and existing programs that will spark creativity and unleash the passion of young people in the STEM disciplines – science, technology, engineering, and math.