Inspired … That is how I felt after enjoying an evening at the Intel Science Talent Search Awards Gala on March 16 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The prestigious awards celebrate some of the most talented high school men and women scientists.

Forty bright scientists from across America were selected as finalists from 1,736 entries, their work involving research such as experimenting with drug resistances to breast cancer to creating software that would improve the orbit of spacecrafts.
 
The 40 finalists gathered in D.C. to present their projects to judges and to experience Capitol Hill meetings with members of Congress. The finalists were recognized and winners announced at the very special awards gala with Intel President and CEO Paul Otellili, Society for Science & the Public President Elizabeth Marincola, family, and mentors. “These young scientists are proof that curious, eager minds coupled with inspiring, knowledgeable teachers are the foundation for world-changing innovation,” praised Otellini.

The talented scientists also had an opportunity to hear from guest speaker Thomas Freidman, author and foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times. Freidman advised  the students to “surround yourself with highly motivated people…Inspiration to seek knowledge is the true essence of a scholar.” 
 
Learn more about the Intel Science Talent Search Awards and Intel’s commitment to supporting innovative young scientists.

The 2010 “100 Best Corporate Citizens” ranking (PDF)  is now out, and it’s received its fair share of attention this week. Scan Twitter using “100 best corporate citizens“ and you find shout-outs and congratulations from consumers, industry groups, and employees of listed companies. 

The ranking is based on 360 data points of publicly-available information in the seven categories of Environment, Climate Change, Human Rights, Philanthropy, Employee Relations, Financial Performance, and Governance. In many minds, this list is a big deal. For one, a CEO-level survey conducted by PRWeek and Burson Marsteller in 2008 found that the “100 Best Corporate Citizens” is the 3rd-most influential list for companies, behind only Fortune’s “Most Admired Companies” and “100 Best Companies to Work For.” 

Jay Whitehead, publisher of Corporate Responsibility Magazine, which manages the ranking, says company stakeholders watch the 100 Best Corporate Citizens List closely. “Making the list is worth millions or even billions in increased shareholder and brand value,” claims Whitehead. And, according to the Corporate Responsibility Officers Association, its staff has begun notifying members of Congress about companies in their districts that are included on the 2010 list. 

It seems that the nature of the “100 Best” list can help ranked companies get their house in order. According to Suzanne Fallender, Director of CSR Strategy and Communications for Intel, “The key thing this particular rating rewards is transparency since every data point needs to be public in order to get credit. This is useful in getting companies to improve their CSR/sustainability reporting, which in turn drives internal performance on CSR.” Her comment is part of a larger conversation that has been taking place online all week.  

Do corporate rankings, like the 100 Best Corporate Citizens, matter to your company? Are they useful to your stakeholders? Let us know what you think.

Today BCLC is focusing on the business role in disaster response (In one hour from now, we are hosting a FREE webinar, “First Step in Disaster Response: Employee Assistance” — there’s still time to participate).

In this spirit, I have two “Business Gives Back” stories to share today. Both stories illustrate the role companies can play in post-disaster communities. For their commitment to strengthening communities and individuals during hard times, both companies were honorees in the U.S. Chamber BCLC 2009 Corporate Citizenship Awards.

First, Intel. In a few hours, Nationwide with its nonprofit partner, the American Red Cross.

Intel Corporation and the iWorld Project Sichuan, China

When a devastating earthquake struck China’s Sichuan Province in May 2008, immediate relief support was just one part of how Intel responded. The company’s Chengdu assembly and test facility is located in the disaster region, so helping advance recovery was top of mind for Intel. The extent of the earthquake’s damage meant that long-term support would be critical. 

In the wake of the disaster, a team at Intel began working to identify ways that Intel could apply technology innovations  to help to address ongoing recovery efforts. Just 10 days after the earthquake, while many were still preoccupied with sending relief materials, Intel launched a comprehensive post-quake recovery plan called “iWorld,” focused on rebuilding and restoring services in the areas and leveraging Intel’s technology expertise and competencies. (In Chinese, “i” means love — iWorld means “spread love around the world.”)

On June 23, 2008, Intel’s Craig Barrett (pictured), the first chairman from a multinational corporation to visit the affected area, unveiled the details of the project. The project placed a heavy emphasis on getting students back to learning by establishing 200 state-of-the-art “e-classrooms” and extending Intel education programs to teachers and students across the eight severely affected counties in the province. The goal was to bring some normalcy back to their lives and create a long term sustainable environment where children can get a quality education and pursue their dreams.

Key elements/actions for the project included:

* Intel and the Intel Foundation made $5 million financial grant for the schools and iWorld project

* Intel led the effort to equip 200 e-classrooms, lining up other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and other companies in the region  

* Intel extended the impact of the PC donations with Intel education programs, providing Intel® Teach and Intel®  Learn resources across the province

* Intel expanded their volunteer program to affected schools, including school selection, e-classroom set-up, and roll-out of mentoring, teaching, and on-line programs to connect employees with the students

Read more…

Yesterday BCLC hosted a Forum on Business and Society Relations featuring leaders from business, government, academia, media, and the nonprofit sector who discussed the current state and future trends of business and society relations.

The speakers acknowledged a chasm in business and society relations, specially pointing out the low level of confidence and trust in business and how this perception poses challenges.  Discussion threads included building trust, sharpening stakeholder relationship management, expanding innovative partnerships, and improving communication. 

Here is a snapshot of the discussion:

Panel moderator Stephen Jordan, U.S. Chamber BCLC:

Social capital is today’s currency. At the same time trust in business is plummeting, expectations of the social role of business are rising. Stakeholder relationship management is now more important than ever.

Shelly Esque, Intel Corporation:

Healthy businesses cannot operate without healthy communities, so how can companies help solve problems while benefitting the bottom line and engaging employees as part of the solution? The way we act in the long-term defines our commitment.

Hank Gilman, Fortune:

Even though public confidence in business is low, we can turn it around. It will take a long time to overcome the trust crisis but it’s not too late. Just look at the way Walmart was able t0 achieve a recent turn-around in its reputation. 

 
Mary Jo Waits, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices:

There are 39 gubernatorial races for 2010, and 22 states will definitely have a change in leadership. If companies like the progress their states have made — socially, civically, environmentally, etc. — then companies should help new governors maintain consistency and make strategic decisions.

 
Dr. Oliver Shlake, University of Maryland:

Trust is a function of time. Rebuilding stakeholder trust and improving business and society relations will take years. We should shift focus away from short-term action and move toward long-term endurance and impact. “Don’t shoot for most valuable player; shoot for lifetime achievment.”

Rick Martella, ARAMARK:

There is a new scorecard that companies are still trying to figure out. The scorecard measures a company’s performance in terms of responsibility and responsiveness to stakeholders. People will want to work for companies with “values connectiveness,” and customers will pay a premium, too. 

 Throughout 2010, BCLC’s Business & Society Working Group will help shape the national dialogue on business and society relations, and will educate the public on how business is part of the solution for tackling some of the toughest challenges in today’s society.  The findings throughout 2010 will culminate in a report to the nation on Business & Society Relations.

by Raju Doshi, Intel Education – Communications Manager

Last month Intel hosted Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), the world’s largest pre-college science competition. The huge exhibition hall at the Reno Sparks convention center was filled with rows upon rows of amazing science projects, more than 1,200 actually, submitted by 1,563 students from 51 countries.

An underground radio that can be used for cave and mine rescues; a versatile, cheaper and more efficient biosensor to detect contaminants in public water systems; a Styrofoam-decomposing bacteria to combat Styrofoam pollution — these are just a few examples of the projects that were submitted this year.

For the second year in a row, three women (Tara Adiseshan, Li Boynton and Olivia Schwob) took the top honors and received $50,000 each in college scholarships.

Read more…