Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC announces recipients of community gift program

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS), the contract manager for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), has announced the recipients for the 2019 LLNS Community Gift Program. These gifts, totaling $150,000, reflect LLNS' commitment to local communities.  See the photo gallery.

LLNS received applications totaling more than $444,000 in requests. Forty-one applications were selected for awards totaling $150,000 through a committee review process. Many of these awards serve children in the Tri-Valley area as well as Contra Costa, San Francisco and San Joaquin counties, with a focus on literacy, science, technology, engineering and math education and cultural arts. Other recipients focus their charitable efforts toward children, families, senior citizens and individuals in need of assistance.

Bill Goldstein, LLNS president and LLNL director, presented the awards during a reception at the LLNS office in downtown Livermore on Thursday to the following organizations:

• The Alameda County Foster Parent Association, Chapter 1, promotes safe quality care for the well-being of all foster children by providing services and advocacy to foster and adoptive families, relative and non-relative caregivers.
• Altamont Elementary School’s “Our Minds Can Make It Bigger and Better!” program supports lab activities and the expansion of the after-school "Femineers" program.
• The American Association of University Women (AAUW), Livermore-Pleasanton-Dublin Tech Trek, delivers summer science camps for girls.
• Amethod Public Schools (Oakland Charter High School) provides a rigorous college preparatory education and character development program to prepare students from underserved communities to succeed in college and beyond.
• Berkeley High School offers a student-lead robotics team focused on providing a STEM experience to students in the Bay Area.
• Byron Union School District’s “Academic Talent” program serves gifted students through enrichment in STEAM-based activities, encouraging them to have positive impacts on their communities.
• California High School incorporates the “maker mentality” within the student body through their maker space and project classrooms.
• Calla High School robotics class exposes students to STEAM activities by way of robotics competitions.
• Castro Valley High School’s biotech program provides a safe learning environment to explore science, helping students reach their highest potential.
• Chabot Space & Science Center provides “Champions of Science” for middle-school students and “Galaxy Explorers” for high school students.
• Children Rising Path2Math provides interventional math tutoring for students at risk.
• Christensen Middle School delivers a STEM program that places students on a pathway to a high school engineering academy, preparing them for a career in the technical field.
• Discovery Bay Odyssey of the Mind offers STEM-based educational opportunities for students from all backgrounds to learn about robotics, physics and engineering in a fun environment.
• Estrella del Pueblo Instruments of Opportunity provides additional opportunities in STEAM to underserved students.
• Exceptional Needs Network offers a free overnight camp for special needs children at Livermore's Camp Arroyo.
• Explorer Post #987: System Overload Robotics promotes learning of STEAM to students of the Tri-Valley area.
• Girls Inc. of Alameda County’s SMART! BUILD IT! EUREKA! STEM program fosters an interest in STEM and helps build confidence in girls from Oakland.
• Granada & Livermore High School’s Metals Shop Safety Enhancement program enables students to receive exposure to basic manufacturing processes in a safe and welcoming environment.
• League of United Latin American Citizens LULAC 2060 serves to advance the economic conditions, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of the citizens of San Joaquin County.
• Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired promotes the independence, equality and self-reliance of people who are blind or have low vision.
• Livermore High School’s STEP-UP Physics Together program is designed to reduce barriers and inspire young women to pursue physics degrees in college.
• Livermore Public Library’s children’s science book collection.       
• Livermore Science and Society Center connects science to everyday life to cultivate life skills, inspire future workforce, enhance confidence and create capable, science informed contributors to the community.
• Livermore Shakespeare Festival Romeo & Juliet in school immersive program for 7^th grade.
• Los Cerros Middle School provides cybersecurity education for the middle school classroom.
• Marylin Avenue Elementary School promotes “Building Builders for a Better Tomorrow” STEM skills in TK-5 classrooms.
• Mendenhall Middle School offers a 3D printing program, “Bringing the Design Process to Life.”
• Monte Vista High School Red Tie Robotics gives high school students the opportunity to learn about engineering, project planning, budgeting, teamwork and other valuable life skills in a safe and structured environment.
• Oakland Children’s Fairyland Science Alive program offers next-generation science standards (NGSS) curriculum for first grade students in the Oakland Unified School District.
• Pleasanton Partnerships in Education Foundation’s (PPIE) computer coding, robotics, 3D printing, biotech in the garden, public mural design and more is introduced to over 2,000 students annually.
• Ron Nunn Elementary School believes all students will soar to success through student learning, opportunities for all and admiring differences.
• Sandra J. Wing Healing Therapies Foundation provides healing therapies for cancer patients.
• Tracy Friends of the Library offers “Hands of Science” for children at the Tracy Branch Library.
• Tracy High School fosters a positive, safe environment that prepares students to successfully navigate a global community using 21^st century skills.
• Valley Children’s Museum engages children’s intellectual curiosity and nurtures their social, emotional and cognitive development through the wonders of creative play and hands-on education.
• Vincent Academy Charter School provides “Beat the Odds,” an instrumental music drumming program for all students.
• Wayfinder Family Services (previously named Junior Blind) provides critical early childhood development services and support to children and their families.       
• Wiesner Memorial Senior Fund provides emergency help to seniors in the Tri-Valley.

LLNS manages LLNL for the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. LLNS is comprised of Bechtel, the largest project management contractor in the United States; the University of California, the world’s largest public research institution; and BWXT Government Group, Inc. and AECOM, the top two DOE nuclear facilities contractors.

See more information on LLNS and its Community Gift Program on the website.