Sunnyvale School District Announces AMD Contribution, Plans to Expand Vital Community Center
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Sunnyvale School District today announced plans to use a $500,000 contribution from AMD (NYSE: AMD), a world-leading semiconductor manufacturer, to help upgrade and expand one of the city's most important and successful education recreation and social services facilities - the Columbia Neighborhood Center (CNC).
The CNC provides access to a variety of health and social services, academic opportunities, afterschool and recreation programs, and has housed a number of innovative programs designed to help guide at-risk youth.
"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to AMD for its long and unwavering commitment to the Columbia Neighborhood Center," said Sunnyvale School District Superintendent Dr. Joseph Rudnicki. "For more than 10 years, children and families in the surrounding neighborhoods have come to regard the Center as a vital, effective and positive force in this community. Now, thanks largely to AMD, the CNC is getting a new and necessary lease on life to better service future generations of children and families in this great community."
The CNC was founded in 1994, when the Sunnyvale School District, the City of Sunnyvale and AMD each contributed $1 million to establish the community center on the site of the newly-opened Columbia Middle School in North Sunnyvale. Since then, the CNC has provided a range of services for youth and families residing in the economically challenged neighborhoods surrounding the Columbia Middle School campus, including healthcare and immunizations, childcare, sports programs, academic mentoring and various community-wide activities and celebrations.
The CNC operates as a joint effort between the City of Sunnyvale and the School District, with both parties sharing the property and the operation costs. With the commitment of dozens of nonprofit health and social service providers and the financial support and volunteer commitment of corporations like AMD, the CNC has been recognized as a model of community collaboration for other cities to follow.
"The depth and breadth of the Columbia partnership and what it has accomplished for local youth and their families is remarkable," said Tom McCoy, AMD Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs and Chief Administrative Officer. "AMD and the CNC have a long history, and we are honored to play a role in helping the CNC grow and continue its good works in the community."
For its part, AMD's commitment has gone beyond capital investment in the CNC. "AMD's support for education and this community through the years has been truly exemplary," Dr. Rudnicki said. "For more than 15 years, AMD has provided annual grants to both Sunnyvale and Columbia Middle Schools and has funded numerous programs aimed at improving students' opportunities for success."
In 2004, when a task force of School District and City of Sunnyvale officials found that the Center lacked adequate space to allow needed expansion of services, AMD was instrumental in funding a study of facility expansion options. The company has also sponsored a variety of afterschool programs, gang prevention and conflict resolution initiatives and mentoring programs aimed at improving education outcomes for students, primarily in the areas of math, science and technology.
About the Columbia Neighborhood Center
The Columbia Neighborhood Center supports and empowers youth and families so that the children of the community will develop the life skills necessary to be successful in school and beyond. The CNC was developed to provide social, recreational and educational services for north Sunnyvale residents. This collaborative project between the City of Sunnyvale, Sunnyvale School District, AMD, Sunnyvale residents, and numerous community agencies was formed in the fall of 1994, concurrent with the opening of Columbia Middle School. The CNC, located on a 25-acre site, includes the AMD Sports and Service Center building, Columbia Middle School, and the Sunnyvale Preschool Center. The CNC is open to all community residents and provides a variety of services and activities year round, seven days a week, including evenings. For more information, visit http://www.cnc.insunnyvale.com.
About AMD
Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE:AMD) is a leading global provider of innovative processing solutions in the computing, graphics and consumer electronics markets. AMD is dedicated to driving open innovation, choice and industry growth by delivering superior customer-centric solutions that empower consumers and businesses worldwide. For more information, visit www.amd.com.
AMD is also very active in the communities where it operates, collaborating with local nonprofit organizations and schools to address specific community needs through investments of strategic corporate resources, including AMD technology, in-kind donations, corporate grants and employee volunteerism. For more information, visit www.amd.com/community.
Source: Advanced Micro Devices
Released October 18, 2007