In a collaboration for social good, SM Store, Mastercard, and SM Foundation came together to provide educational support to female SM scholars pursuing education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. The partnership culminated with the check turnover ceremony held on June 14.
The partnership underscores the companies’ commitment to fostering equal opportunities for women and girls in STEM fields.
By supporting STEM education, the collaboration aims to address the existing gender gap prevalent in the said discipline and empower more women to excel in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
EDUCATION AS KEY
“At our company, we firmly believe in the pursuit of dreams, and we know education is key in that journey. And in providing access to education, we felt that Mastercard might be a great partner. In 2021, during the height of the pandemic, we worked with Mastercard to give tablets to ensure no one gets left behind,” SM Store Vice President for Marketing Roshan Nandwani shared.
“For 2022, we felt that providing our scholars with STEM education will help them up their game to be ready for whatever the environment might be,” Nandwani further said.
She added: “STEM, as we know, provides students with a myriad of skills to address the changing tech environment we have in front of us. Moreover, given the gap of females in this space, we felt we needed to focus on providing education to deserving female students.”
SOCIAL GOOD COLLABORATION
Through Shop & Give Back initiative, customers were able to join the social good initiative by shopping at SM Store from October 28-30, 2022. Mastercard donated P100 for every qualifying purchase when consumers used their Mastercard card for transactions of at least P500.
The accumulated donations will provide full scholarships to over 20 female SM scholars who will be pursuing courses in STEM, such as engineering and IT.
“The SM Foundation’s advocacy for uplifting youth through education aligns seamlessly with Mastercard’s goals to build a more sustainable world where everyone prospers,” said Simon Calasanz, Country Manager, Philippines, Mastercard.
“Too often, girls don’t feel at home in STEM programs, with a sharp drop-off in their engagement during the pre-college years. Working with SM group, Mastercard hopes to provide access and support to empower the next generation of women leaders in STEM, taking steps towards addressing this gender gap,” Calasanz added.
Aside from providing full scholarships to SM scholars in the STEM field, it can be recalled that the SM group and Mastercard partnered in 2021 for the Shop & Share campaign. Through the initiative, 1,210 scholars received electronic tablets and utilized them to boost their online learning during the height of the pandemic.
