Giving back to the community is in ORAU’s DNA
CEO Andy Page talks about our history of ‘paying it forward’
Paying it forward for our community
From Extreme Classroom Makeovers to summer STEM activities for students, ORAU President and CEO Andy Page talks about the importance of giving back to the community. Hear it all on the Further Together podcast.
“ORAU has been an instrumental, critical part of this community since 1946,” said Andy Page, president and CEO. “We have an historical presence in this community and have been part of this community all the way back to the Second World War. You can’t forget your history and you can’t forget the community you serve.”
Supporting the community we serve helps keep the community vibrant and strengthens the workforce that ultimately comes to work for ORAU.
“Our workforce comes from this community, and from the East Tennessee region,” he said. “What’s unique about this organization is that we find people who have worked here for 25, 30 or 35 years. You don’t find that in most companies.”
Among the many ways ORAU has supported the community includes a $100,000 pledge to help fund the Bill Haslam Center for Math and Science at the Hardin Valley campus of Pellissippi State Community College. ORAU has supported Pellissippi State for many years through a wide range of programs, including sponsorship of the community college’s Middle School Mathematics Contest for more than 15 years. In 2018, more than 500 students participated in the program at no cost to them.
Because of ORAU’s support of Pellissippi State, the Tennessee Board of Regents recently honored ORAU with its Award of Excellence for Philanthropy, an award bestowed on individuals, companies and organizations that continue donate their resources, finances and personal time to Tennessee Board of Regents Institutions.
“Community colleges are so important in terms of advancing science and education in the workforce, and bringing in the talented workforce that Oak Ridge is going to need in the next 10 to 15 years,” Page said. “I think we're privileged to be a member of the community, and we have to be able to pay that back.”
ORAU specifically supports STEM education in a number of ways, including offering free professional development programs for educators and educational opportunities for students from kindergarten through high school.
ORAU directly supports the schools in our own backyard by offering education grants to Anderson County educators. Since 2002, ORAU has funded more than $500,000 in grants to area schools for projects that complement ORAU’s mission of enriching STEM education programs. Educational materials and equipment purchased with the grants—such as iPads, computer software, robotics kits and more—help teachers continue to meet statewide curriculum standards and enhance the learning experience of students in STEM subjects.
Paying it back is important to Page and to the community, which contributes more than $300,000 annually to community organizations like the Habitat for Humanity, the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, the American Museum of Science and Energy, The Oak Ridge Peace Pavilion and many others.
For the eleventh consecutive year, ORAU exceeded its goal of raising more than $100,000 in donations as part of its employee annual giving campaign that benefits the United Way and Community Shares, making total donations more than $1 million for the timeframe.
Additionally, a number of employees provide individual support and volunteer for organizations like the Helping Paws Animal Network, a non-profit organization started by a group of ORAU employees that assists animals in crisis; the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the Alzheimer’s Association, Medic Samaritan and numerous others.
Page hopes ORAU’s history of community support will continue for decades to come.
“Seventy-five years ago the government attracted the best and brightest scientists and engineers to come to Oak Ridge to work on a very secret Manhattan Project that helped successfully conclude the Second World War,” he said. “What about the next 75 years? That's what I'm looking for.”
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Helping the Homeless
ORAU employee Shelia Johnson and other members of Oak Valley Baptist Church recycle grocery bags by cutting them into strips and weaving sleeping mats for the homeless. Each mat takes about 10 hours to produce, and the plastic bags they’re made of provide insulation against moisture and cold. Many ORAU employees keep Shelia supplied with the bags to support her in her personal mission to help the homeless.
