In 2009, Dow Water & Process Solutions contributed to the following nonprofit and community organizations in the Twin Cities Area:
American Red Cross
As a corporate citizen of the Twin Cities, Dow Water & Process Solutions shares the American Red Cross' mission of supporting those in their time of need. In 2009, through its employee grant program, Dow Water & Process Solutions was able to assist the Red Cross in continuing to provide services such as emergency disaster aid, blood collection, connection of U.S. Armed Forces with their families in times of emergency, First Aid and CPR training, as well as providing food, shelter and clothing for families who have been victims of fire, flood, tornado or other disasters.
Connecting with Kids
Dow Water & Process Solutions actively supports Connecting with Kids, an effort to create a more supportive and caring school and community environment for Edina's youth. The initiative focuses on developing a community-wide commitment to surround children and adolescents with the wide range of “assets” crucial for healthy development so that future generations have the support they need to grow up to be responsible, healthy and caring adults.
Through a grant from Dow Water & Process Solutions, Connecting with Kids is able to have a powerful influence on the development of young people in our community, identifying and building developmental assets that give kids what they need in terms of support, empowerment, boundaries/expectations, constructive use of time as well as positive values/identity and a commitment to life-long learning.
Edina Community Foundation
Founded more than 30 years ago, the Edina Community Foundation works to create a better and stronger community in which people who live and work in Edina can contribute to helping others in need; have an enhanced sense of public safety in their homes and in the community; come together to enjoy cultural activities, opportunities for community dialogue and other public events; and enjoy beautiful parks, buildings, neighborhoods, public art and music.
Dow Water & Process Solutions was able to partner with the Edina Community Foundation to advance its work by supporting the mission of VEAP, Minnesota's largest food shelf serving needy residents in Edina, Bloomington, Richfield and South Minneapolis; enhancing the community's safety by providing for the needs of the Edina Police Department and Edina Fire Department, including video surveillance and thermal imaging equipment; and by bringing people together through its sponsorship of Edina's biggest celebration of year, the Fourth of July parade, hosting more than 15,000 attendees.
Edina Crime Prevention Fund
The mission of the Edina Crime Prevention Fund is to maintain and enhance the safety of the community by providing education and assistance to the Edina Police Department. Started in the early 1970s to provide funding for reward offers to help solve major crimes, the fund has expanded to include programs such as the two K-9s, the Junior Police, Bicycle Patrol and the Neighborhood Home Watch.
The latest donation from Dow Water & Process Solutions has allowed the production of a new cable television show about crime prevention and the Edina Police Department titled, “Beyond the Badge.” The show features news related to law enforcement, crime prevention tips and interviews with members of the Edina Police Department, helping build a positive relationship with the community as residents can better understand what the police department does and what the crime trends are in our community as well-informed residents and businesses can play an important part of keeping the community safe.
Edina Education Fund
The Edina Education Fund supports valuable educational experiences and innovative projects in the Edina Public Schools by directing, focusing and implementing fundraising programs to ensure the continued excellence of our school district, keeping it among the nation's best.
Through the assistance of contributors, such as Dow Water & Process Solutions, the Edina Education Fund was able to allocate funds throughout the entire district, impacting 7,834 students during the 2008-09 school year.
Innovation Grants are one of the ways the Edina Education Fund awards funds to teachers and staff throughout the district. Through a competitive application process, 19 grants were awarded supporting classroom technology, the arts, literacy curriculum, science, physical education and early childhood education. Grants were distributed to all grade levels, and some grants benefit the district at large.
Through assistance from Dow Water & Process Solutions, the Edina Education Fund was also able to direct funds to several larger district-wide initiatives. Project Lead the Way, a pre-engineering curriculum was supported in both middle schools with funding allocated to the Principles of Engineering course and a 3D Printer. At the high school level, the Edina Education Fund was able to provide funds for a high school counselor dedicated to providing transition counseling services for grades 9-12 to assist with high school, higher education and career planning. The third major area of funding where Dow contributed was for technology at the six elementary school sites including SMART Boards, document cameras and software.
Edina Fire Department
At Dow Water & Process Solutions, we are long-time supporters of the Edina Fire Department because we believe in their mission to serve the community by protecting lives, property and the environment in a safe, efficient and professional manner.
We recently contributed towards the purchase of a new firefighting thermal imaging camera to be used by the department; an extremely valuable tool needed on a regular basis by the Fire Department that can make a life-saving difference in fire situations. We also assisted with the purchase of the department's first CO-Oximeter. This device, which measures a patient's blood carbon monoxide levels, can help save lives by distinguishing between the typical signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning versus the numerous other illnesses it mimics.
Edina Fourth of July Parade
Celebrating Independence Day by participating in Edina's annual Fourth of July parade is a tradition for Dow Water & Process Solutions. The biggest community event in Edina celebrated its thirteenth year in 2009, and the 45-minute parade featured veterans, marching bands, clowns, and floats put together by neighborhood groups and community organizations, as well as costumed character appearances.
Dow Water & Process Solutions was happy to once again provide sponsorship for the parade, which hosted more than 15,000 attendees from around the metro. Our funding helped provide entry for the Edina Crime Prevention Fund's parade float in the 2009 parade.
Edina Police Department
The mission of the Edina Police Department is to protect and serve the community within the scope of the law and the trusts and expectations of the community. Dow Water & Process Solutions is proud to support the department's 51 sworn officers, who provide around the clock service and responded to more than 28,000 calls for service last year.
Our business assisted the Edina Police Department by providing the funds to replace its aging digital recording system, allowing proper documentation of victim, witness and suspect statements in the hundreds of criminal investigations the department manages every year, which are required by legal mandates. The replacement was an unexpected expense that was not in the department's budget in these tight fiscal times. Dow Water & Process Solutions was able to step in and provided new recorders and transcription software, allowing the officers and detectives to take accurate statements while in the field. The new system has facilitated thorough investigations and helped maintain high conviction rates for suspects who are criminally charged, a cornerstone in the Edina Police Department's efforts to keep the city a safe place to live, work and play.
Edina Public Schools Homework Helper Program
This past year, Dow Water & Process Solutions was excited to help expand Edina Public School's community volunteer efforts by assisting students who need additional time on tasks through the organization's pilot Homework Help Program.
With a wide variety of different learners in Edina, including those who are learning English, those that come from economically-challenged families and those that just take longer to learn a new concept, academic performance and test scores revealed that some of Edina's students could benefit from time with community volunteers. Funding from Dow Water & Process Solutions allowed volunteers to assist students with basic skills, such as reading and math, as well as serve as role models to help young learners increase academic performance and confidence in the classroom in either small group or one-on-one direction.
Edina Public Schools Project Lead the Way
If Peter Grimm has his way, students will exit middle school with a strong appreciation for science, technology, engineering and math. Grimm, a technology education instructor at South View Middle School, has been hired by the Edina Public School district to help integrate a new program called Project Lead the Way (PLTW). PLTW focuses on teaching subjects like engineering and robotics through application, and its methods have proven successful in both inner-city and suburban districts alike.
Through funding by Dow Water & Process Solutions, Edina Public Schools will integrate PLTW at the middle-school level with five self-contained units, including automation and robotics, design and modeling, flight and space, the magic of electrons and science and technology. The district plans to expand the PLTW program to the senior high level in the 2009-2010 school year.
FIRST Robotics Team 1816/The Green Machine
As a science and technology company, Dow Water & Process Solutions is in a unique position to work with local schools in its communities to support science education. In 2009, Dow Water & Process Solutions partnered with the Edina Robotics FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Team 1816 or "The Green Machine" as a Silver Sponsor, donating more than $5,000 as well as countless hours of mentoring and technology expertise.
The Green Machine, a group of thirty high school students in the Edina area, utilizes its interest in math, science, engineering, computer programming and marketing to compete in the FIRST Robotics Competitions across the country. Without the support from companies like Dow, local students wouldn't have the opportunity to learn and apply engineering, marketing and science skills.
Greater Twin Cities United Way
The Greater Twin Cities United Way believes that uniting caring people to build pathways out of poverty, creating opportunity for all. Dow Water & Process Solutions couldn't agree more. We support the organization's vision to be a recognized leader in building a stronger, more self-sufficient region by bringing together the hearts, minds and resources of all our citizens to make a measurable impact on our community's most pressing human service problems.
With the numerous economic uncertainties building towards the end of 2008, Edina Operations donated more than $50,000 to the Greater Twin Cities United Way as part of the company's annual United Way campaign. And, we're hoping to increase that amount by at least 12% during this year's annual campaign, which takes place in November. Funds raised help the United Way provide resources to develop the kind of lasting change that helps children succeed, strengthens and supports families, promotes self-sufficiency in seniors and individuals with mental and physical challenges, and helps build vital and safe communities.
HIRED
HIRED, founded in 1968, is a leading Twin Cities area provider of job-skills and employment training, assisting disadvantaged people and other job seekers to become qualified for and obtain employment.
With the rise in unemployment growing exponentially in our region, Dow Water & Process Solutions is proud to be a supporter of HIRED and its initiatives. This includes helping enroll more than 8,000 persons annually in a number of programs designed to assist low-income adults, dislocated workers, welfare-to-work individuals, refugees and youth. In addition, programs established through HIRED provide recruitment and retention services for hundreds of employers each year.
Twin Cities Regional Science Fair
Committed to educating tomorrow's generation in science and technology, Dow Water & Process Solutions is pleased to provide operating funds to the Twin Cities Regional Science Fair (TCRSF). Through this organization, students in grades 6-12 have the opportunity to learn more about science and engineering through participation in science projects on a regional, national and even international level.
Students who live in Hennepin, Ramsey, Washington, and Dakota counties are invited to participate in TCRSF through their local school science fair, a Minnesota Academy of Science-affiliated science club or by obtaining teacher/mentor approval where no local fair is available to the student.
Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP)
Dow's Edina Operations is excited to assist VEAP in providing financial, emotional and physical support to low-income individuals and families living in our community. Through charitable contributions from our business, VEAP is able to provide emergency financial assistance for housing, utilities, transportation and other economic essentials to those in need-helping provide stability within a family by keeping their housing, getting the parents to work and keeping children in the same school.
In addition to monetary contributions, Dow Water & Process Solutions' employees also donated their time as volunteers to help promote VEAP's mission throughout our community. And, employees helped gather more than 400 pounds of food on behalf of the organization in 2009.
Young Scientists Roundtable
The Young Scientist Roundtable (YSR) was founded in 1992 to engage students in science by providing a free, monthly program for those in grades kindergarten - 12 and their parents to hear first-hand from experts in their particular field of science.
Thanks to the generosity of organizations, such as Dow Water & Process Solutions, YSR was able to retain and grow a monthly audience of 200-300 participants, as well as recruit outstanding speakers who talk about important aspects of their scientific discipline or research. In most cases, the information shared during YSR's monthly sessions is not scientific information the student would receive from any other available accessible resource. Following the one-hour presentation, YSR hosts a “Teen Roundtable” for those who would like to hear about the topic in more depth and ask the speakers questions in a smaller more intimate setting.
