UTC Completes 300 Libraries in China
Shanghai, China, October 24, 2014
United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) recently completed donation of 300 student libraries to elementary schools in China’s rural areas, marking a new milestone for the UTC China Library Project since its inception in 2011 in partnership with The Library Project. To date, employee volunteers of United Technologies entities in China have successfully equipped 300 student libraries and 80 teacher libraries with 193,750 books, benefiting over 65,200 students and nearly 4,000 teachers across 12 provinces, including Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shanxi and Sichuan.
The 300th student library was donated to Mai Di Village Elementary School in Jian Yang, Sichuan Province by United Technologies China employee volunteers and The Library Project staff. This donation also marks the fulfillment of the program’s 2014 commitment: donating 130 libraries with more than 82,000 books that benefit over 22,500 students and teachers.
The UTC China Library Project, supported by China Population Welfare Foundation and local communities, aims to develop a sustainable and scalable approach to addressing the challenges of rural schools in obtaining appropriate educational resources and teaching capacities. The program offers a combination of interactive student library settings and selected children’s books. Additionally, libraries have been built to enhance teachers’ educational capacity-building and to provide sites for regular skills-based and on-site mentoring by United Technologies China volunteers, “UTC is a company with a rich legacy of innovation and commitment to make things better. The 300 libraries symbolize UTC’s efforts to build sustainable and vibrant communities in China and the world by promoting education and empowering the younger generations. I am also very excited to see another great milestone achieved in our employee involvement in volunteerism and community service with the completion of the 300th student library. Congratulations to our volunteers and partners!” said Liping Xie, President, UTC China Aerospace & Government Relations.
United Technologies’ first project with The Library Project dates back to 2009 with a donation made by a group of Pratt & Whitney China employees of two student libraries to elementary schools in Anhui Province. Since 2011, UTC’s aerospace units — Pratt & Whitney, UTC Aerospace Systems and Sikorsky – have established through their companies in China a long-term partnership with The Library Project. In 2014, employee volunteers from UTC Building & Industrial Systems unit also joined with aerospace colleagues, making a companywide employee volunteer program open to all United Technologies entities in China.
“The Library Project, together with the United Technologies’ Green Shoots Program, continues to expand and bring benefit to primary students in rural areas. We are very proud of our employees’ involvement in these programs and in their passion to do more to improve their communities and contribute to the positive development of students across China,” said Ross Shuster, UTC Building & Industrial Systems North Asia president.
Along with its growth in markets around the world, United Technologies believes that corporate responsibility and financial performance go hand-in-hand. UTC’s community engagement is focused on building sustainable cities, advancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and supporting vibrant communities. With more than 22,000 employees at its companies in China, United Technologies has a long history of supporting sustainable development and vibrant communities in China.
“Over the past three years, we have seen tremendous growth in thousands of students in rural schools that United Technologies has helped” said Tom Stader, Founder and Executive Director of The Library Project. “Students have gained confidence, knowledge and a better understanding about the world and their dreams by reading and learning new skills. United Technologies plays a critical and continuous role in supporting our mission to bring the joy of reading to every student. We are very fortunate to have a partner like United Technologies and are looking forward to continuing our joint effort.”
The Library Project is a non-profit charity organization that donates books and libraries to under-financed schools in the developing world. Thus far, The Library Project has created more than 1,000 libraries for elementary schools in the remote areas in China. The Library Project is a charity partner of China Population Welfare Foundation – a non-profit charity organization approved by the Ministry of Civil Affairs Registry.
United Technologies, based in Hartford, Connecticut, provides high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.
About The Library Project
The Library Project is dedicated to improving rural education in China and throughout the world by providing children with access to libraries, literacy programs, and teacher training. Since 2006, they have benefited over a million children and teachers in more than 3,000 schools. Their programs include Reading Rooms, Reading Corners, Literacy Bags, and STEAM Boxes, all designed to create educational spaces where children can learn and grow. The Library Project is committed to measurable impact and continuous support for rural elementary schools, kindergartens, orphanages, community centers, and the home. For more information, visit www.library-project.org.