If you had visited Microsoft’s Redmond HQ last Friday, you would have seen hundreds of people chatting and laughing along the roads surrounding main campus. That was the 5K Run/Walk – a highlight of our annual Employee Giving Campaign which kicked off last week.

October is an amazing month at Microsoft, bursting with much loved traditions and brimming with exciting new opportunities for employees to donate their company-matched volunteer time and money to their chosen causes. Our people generously give throughout the year and in 2013 they raised a record-breaking $113 million to enable local and global nonprofits better serve their beneficiaries.

This includes our newer and early-in-career employees, who are making a huge impact here in Seattle and around the world. I regularly hear from this energetic group that they joined Microsoft to help shape the future of technology but also – and equally as important – because they want to work somewhere that shares their values. When I think about the millennial generation, which is 80 million strong, what stands out is that they care deeply about changing the world for the better.

And there is no denying it – their energy and passion is palpable and powerful. Take for example Leanne Toth, Senior Business Operations Program Manager in the Windows and Windows Phone division who joined Microsoft eight years ago after receiving mentoring from another Microsoft employee who had spotted her potential and urged her to apply. “It was like a Cinderella story,” she said. “I was making minimum wage not knowing where I was going in life. Even though I had a degree, I didn't know what I was going to do. This connects now because I can empower less experienced people in my team, by not only teaching them core business skills, but by putting in place a system of rigorous 1:1 and team coaching sessions to help them achieve longer-term career goals. I do my best to help them find the superhero version of themselves; just like someone pulled that out in me eight years ago”. Leanne also supports Global Give Back Circle where she mentors a young woman in Kenya, who was accepted into a top local university with her education fully paid for. “Giving is integrated with who you are as a person. It's not a sacrifice’” she said. “I've always had coaches in life. Mentoring transforms lives and that has enriched my personal journey.”

All month long, Microsoft employees of all ages will gather together, person by person, team by team, to raise money to help others less fortunate do more and be more. Cookbooks and cat and dog calendars will be sold. Pancakes will be flipped by senior leaders making breakfast for our employees, later this week. A 24-hour international ‘Give and Go’ will happen later in the month. And the ever popular online auction this year includes the opportunity to be one of 90 people to attend an on campus benefit concert by musician Eddie Vedder on October 30th.  As I said, it’s truly an amazing month.

You can see some of our employees in action below and please do share your #MSFTgiving story with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Yammer.

In our rapidly changing, hyper-connected world, the information and communication technology (ICT) industry is driving economic growth, innovation, and job creation. More than 50 percent of today’s jobs require some degree of technology skills—and some experts say that will increase to 77 percent in the next decade—but many of the world’s youth don’t have the skills for these roles and will be unable to fill these jobs.

We set out to better understand the landscape of youth skills training programs and initiatives, especially those working to build the technology skills of youth as part of a broader program, and developed a framework, “Understanding the Youth Workforce Development Technology Skills Training  Landscape”, that we are releasing today in partnership with Making Cents International. The framework is a tool for understanding the unique role that education and training providers play in youth workforce development and how they fit together based on their primary training objective, market alignment, and measures of success.

We hope that this framework will be leveraged by practitioners, funders, youth leaders, government and others to foster a common language, greater cooperation, more partnerships and joint projects to increase the alignment of education and skills training efforts to employer needs, with the intent of an increase in youth economic opportunities.

Click here to read the study and find out more.

Tweet and share this report with those in your network who care about getting youth the right skills, and into jobs: #Microsoft and @MakingCentsIntl release toolkit for youth #workforce dev programs -- check it out! http://bit.ly/ysmcwdl14 #YouthSpark

Providing all young people with the opportunity to learn computer science is something we feel strongly about at Microsoft. Through our YouthSpark initiative, we work with partners and programs around the world who focus on helping young people learn how to become creators of technology – especially for populations underrepresented in computer science.

As part of our continued emphasis on this important work, today at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting we were proud to stand with former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and alongside others in our industry to share our commitment to support a joint initiative led by the Anita Borg Institute (ABI) and Harvey Mudd College, “Building Recruiting and Inclusion for Diversity” (BRAID) which will work with college and university computer science departments to increase the percentage of their undergraduate majors that are female and students of color. 

Recent studies project that there are 122,000 job openings annually in computing fields in the United States requiring at least a bachelor’s degree, yet less than 50,000 qualified degrees are currently being produced by the U.S. higher education system. Today, women and minorities represent less than 34% of graduates with bachelor degrees in computer science. 

These statistics illustrate the key reasons why Microsoft develops initiatives like DigiGirlz and works with partners like Girls Who Code and The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). We want to be sure that every young person who wants to pursue a career in computer science has not only the access, but the appropriate supports to succeed. We’re thrilled to support the BRAID initiative that will work to address this gap specifically for women and students of color, helping create a strong pipeline of future innovators. Learn more about the initiative here.

Last week we announced big updates to our Microsoft YouthSpark initiative as we cross our two year milestone, and today we're announcing the YouthSpark Youth Advisors, as a way for us to seek ideas, feedback and insight directly from an amazing group of young people and ensure YouthSpark continues to meet the needs of youth around the world.

Eighteen youth will serve as YouthSpark Youth Advisors in their home countries and in global activities.  They will share their perspectives and challenge our ideas to help us create programs, partnerships and resources that continue to meet the needs of youth around the world.  Their involvement will be especially important as we expand technology education to turn the tide of rising youth unemployment.

Meet our YouthSpark Youth Advisors from around the globe:

David Casillas – Mexico

David Casillas starting developing software as a student through Microsoft Dreamspark. As his coding skills grew, he began to compete in Imagine Cup, the Microsoft global student technology contest. He won competition after competition, and represented Mexico in the final global showcase. After Imagine Cup, David went on to start his own enterprise—Nyx Technology—to develop multi-platform software that support health issues in his country. His work has been used in his local municipalities and for Mexico's Ministry of Education.

Francesco Mancino - Italy

A passionate social entrepreneur, Francesco participated in Startup Revolutionary Road, a Microsoft YouthSpark program which provides tools and resources for young entrepreneurs. Francesco founded his own ICT startup—Leevia—a photography driven, crowd-sourced, online platform for petitions and causes. He has participated in several entrepreneurship programs and has won numerous awards for his ideas and presentations, including first place for "Best ICT Idea" at the Global Social Venture competition. 

Genevieve L’Esperance - Canada

Genevieve is a Computer Science & Molecular Biology major at McGill University. She learned to code at a young age and quickly recognized that she was a minority in the male-dominated field. Her goal is to break down the perception barrier so that girls look at the computer science profession more objectively as a career choice. She went on to get Microsoft certifications in various technologies and skills, become a Windows 8 Ambassador for her college campus, and has devoted countless hours to teaching programming to girls. She hopes to show them the doors that computer science has opened for her, and that it’s a field not just for boys. 

Jie Ren - China

Jie is committed to learning and applying new technologies and sharing these skills with others. Through his work as the program director for the Rabbit King Research Center for Poverty Alleviation (RKRC) and a trainer for the Microsoft Youth Community Center project, Jie has helped youth and rural families in his community use technology to start a small business in rabbit farming. Jie has a Master’s of Science in International Management from the University of London and a Bachelor’s of Science in Retail Management and Food Quality from Harper Adams University.

Johnnie Lovett - United States

Johnnie has come a long way from handling carts at the local grocery store in high school. He participated in YouthSpark partner program Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) to learn how to become an effective entrepreneur, and then with his grocery store income, created his own startup clothing line: Fresh Connection Brand. He’s worked with NBA Superstar Dwyane Wade, as well as Microsoft YouthSpark and NFTE on collaborative brand and apparel projects. He is the inaugural recipient of Bill Sharp’s The Future of Advertising award and now an Assistant Strategic Planner for Commonground Marketing, an emerging ad firm in Chicago, IL.

Joshua Uwadiae - United Kingdom

A high school drop-out and formerly incarcerated youth, Joshua found a new path for his future through an apprenticeship. He received training and education through the QA Apprenticeship program, a part of the Microsoft YouthSpark program in the UK. He achieved four Microsoft Technology Associate Certifications and was recognized as the Microsoft Apprentice of the Year runner up in 2013. Joshua is now an apprenticeship ambassador, motivating youth to continue their education and consider an apprenticeship path, and proudly holds a full-time job as an IT Manager for eCourier.

Kiho Park - Japan

Kiho is a young social entrepreneur in Osaka. He cares passionately about the lives of underserved youth in Japan and created DxP (Dream times Possibility), to help impoverished Japanese youth tackle career and social inclusion issues. His nonprofit, a Microsoft YouthSpark partner since 2012, provides IT skills training and work experience for students attending high school only part-time or during the night time. The skills training has proven effective for helping youth to learn important skill sets for future careers, enhance their self-esteem, and helping them move out of poverty.

Manolis Labovas - Greece

Manolis Labovas is the Project Manager of Getbusy.gr, a Microsoft Youthspark Initiative which has received distinction at the European CSR Awards 2013 and is one of the pledges of the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs of the European Commission. Manolis has organized several large scale conferences and campaigns, including the “Get Online Week 2014” campaign in Greece. He is also a member of the Management team of YouRock, a dynamic new social media network available in 15 languages helping young people to identify their hidden work skills from their activities.

Mary Mwende - Kenya

Mary grew up in Mombasa, Kenya. Her circumstances motivated her to study diligently and she was one of the first girls to join the Global Give Back Circle. Her unwavering desire to succeed and give back have led to her to share the stage with U.S. President Bill Clinton, secure a four-year full scholarship to the American University of Dubai (AUD), and become the first African woman to be elected President of the Student Government at AUD.  Having graduated with honors, Mary is now enrolled as a Clinton Scholar doing her Graduate (MBA) studies on a full scholarship, mentors at risk youth and continues to support her home community. 

Michael Teoh – Malaysia

Michael Teoh is the Founder-Strategist of Thriving Talents, a company that trains students and workers in companies and universities to succeed in life and work. He is an awardee of PRESTIGE's “Top 40 Under 40” Awards for Malaysians and was recognized as one of the world's leading enterprising youth by the Global Entrepreneurship Week in 2011. Michael is also the Honorary Advisor for Youth in Economics & Entrepreneurship Development for the World Youth Parliament based in Geneva, Switzerland. He currently consults for start-up companies in education, public safety, online media, food & beverage and tourism industries, and is also co-author of Potential Matrix™, a book focused on personal development for youth.

Rafael Regh – Germany

Rafael is a young app developer who is incredibly passionate about technology and Microsoft. At only 15, he became the youngest-ever Microsoft Student Partner in Germany. He cares deeply about the youth tech skills gap and teaches young people in his community how to code in C# and build mobile applications. He has also developed a number of smart phone applications -- from Mensa games to the official Windows 8 application for the German Parliament.

Raneem Medhat - Egypt

Raneem is a senior at Cairo University, studying Computer Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering. She has dedicated her time volunteering to help student associations, schools and social entrepreneurship startups with marketing, technology education and project management.  Raneem has worked on the Aspire Woman University program, by leading 24 University clubs nationwide, reaching more than 4,000 girls, while also developing a website that supports women entrepreneurs in Egypt.

Roxana Rugina - France

She struggled after graduate school to find work—a common problem for many talented young people in today’s job market—so she attended an intensive six-month boot camp called Simplon, a YouthSpark nonprofit partner, where she learned how to code, write a business plan, and even create her own apps. She went on to co-found Simplon Romania and is currently working to prepare the next generation with the necessary skills in order to gain 21^st century jobs.

Samantha Bustamante - United States

Samantha immigrated to America from Mexico City at the age of 13. Her mother was homeless, single and brought her to the US in search of better opportunities for her daughter. Samantha discovered Year Up and participated in the YouthSpark partner program as a stepping stone out of poverty. She went through the program’s intensive business training for six months and then was placed in a high profile internship, afterwards securing a full-time job at CitiGroup. Now a quality insurance analyst, Samantha is committed to inspiring others through mentorship and sharing her success stories so others can find a way out of poverty.

Varun Kashyap - India

Varun is a social entrepreneur creating technology to reach communities and drive social change. He was a Global Shaper nominees by the World Economic Forum and currently a Young India Fellow, a leadership development program by Ashoka University in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, Carleton College and Sciences Po. He co-founded LetsEndorse, a crowd-endorsing platform that engages NGOs, businesses, citizens and governments to make change happen. Prior to this, he founded Suvidha Bazaar after graduating in 2010, a supply chain initiative for fresh farm produce benefitting both farmers and end consumers. He is currently a Alexander Von Humboldt & German Chancellor Fellow, a fellowship for tomorrow’s leaders awarded by the German Chancellor.

Wanderson Skrock - Brazil

Born in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Wanderson grew up to be a troubled teen, incarcerated twice before age 17. The second prison stint changed his life: he took computer courses from YouthSpark partner CDI, where he learned basic typing, how to use a computer, and productivity tools like Microsoft Office. He went on to teach others how to gain digital literacy skills and today, he is the Social Educator at the Center for Digital Inclusion in Rio de Janeiro teaching young people and inmates at a local prison technology skills so that they too can take a different path.

It’s a wearable “panic button” for the unexpected dangerous circumstance. Attached to a bracelet, the panic button will signal to a Windows Phone OS, sending a 30-second voice clip to a pre-identified emergency contact with the phone. A GPS system will keep track of the person wearing the device.

SafeWear was designed by a team of Microsoft software engineers led by Thambu Zaemenock Kamalabai, who came up with the idea after hearing about a woman attacked on a bus in India. “She didn’t have a phone or any way of notifying someone,” Thambu said. “She was totally alone.”

Thambu wanted to come up with a device for people who may need to call for help but don’t carry a phone. Children will be able to wear the bracelet and be connected to parents’ phones. Runners can connect to a friend or family member. Travelers and seniors can be connected to loved ones.

“I have a five-year-old daughter and I’m not ready to give her a phone so a wearable solution is perfect,” Thambu said. “It’s safe and easy to operate in case of an emergency.”

At our Hackathon last month at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, WA, employees from across the globe worked in teams, hacking for two days to come up with apps and solutions for government, consumers, nonprofits and more. More than 30 of the teams created Tech for Good solutions designed to address social issues. 

Thambu and his team won in the Tech for Good category. Judges said the project was innovative, useful, and they liked the wearable angle. The team was awarded a $1,000 donation gift card for YouthSpark on GlobalGiving, a crowdfunding program that finances important projects around the world.

The two other winners in the Tech for Good category were Ability EyeGaze which uses Microsoft tech like the Surface 3 and Kinect to enable people with ALS and other degenerative diseases to control their assistive technologies, such as wheelchairs and communication tools, using only their eyes. Another winner, MATT: Microsoft Accessibility Testing Tool, makes accessibility testing for products faster and easier.

Team SafeWear is already turning its winning idea into a reality. The team is currently working with hardware engineers to perfect the bracelet prototype, and has been pitching the concept and product to potential investors and Microsoft development teams.

Microsoft Citizenship is proud to sponsor the Tech for Good category as part of our commitment to creating solutions that serve the needs of people around the globe.

About the //oneweek Hackathon, Thambus said, “It was such a great experience turning my idea into a product, I can’t wait to take this to the next level.”

Since the age of five, Hana Yohannes knew she wanted to create apps and work with technology for a living. “I saw so much power in computers in terms of what they can do for us,” she says.

The 16 year-old Seattle high school student is one of 20 girls who spent their summer on Microsoft’s campus participating in Girls Who Code, a program we support as a part of Microsoft YouthSpark.

Girls Who Code is an intensive seven-week immersion that offers hands on, project-based computer science education while providing a glimpse into life at some of the most vibrant technology companies. Participants learn several coding languages, mobile app development, how to program robots, and web design. Students are paired with female mentors, take field trips to meet other professionals, and learn how computer science is applied to the world on a day-to-day basis.

Price Jimerson, another Girls Who Code participant, first became hooked on computer science through another YouthSpark program: Technology Education And Literacy in Schools (TEALS). TEALS pairs engineers from companies such as Microsoft with classroom teachers to teach computer science daily in 70 schools in 12 states. Price was excited when she learned that she would work with a Windows Phone every day through TEALS. “Then I realized it was hard work,” she acknowledges. But soon she was creating apps and even posting them in the Windows Phone Store.

“Computer science is the greatest opportunity there is,” Price explains. “But it’s an undercover greatness because most kids don’t know about it.”

That’s exactly what we’re addressing through Microsoft YouthSpark: helping more young people imagine the possibilities they unlock for themselves, their families, their communities and the world by learning how to use, create and apply technology.

One of the ways that Girls Who Code teaches how computer science is applied at companies such as Microsoft is by giving participants the opportunity to “work backwards,” by visualizing how a certain person’s needs can be addressed with technology. Price’s team dreamed up an imaginary 70 year-old retiree named Edith Johnson, who requires a wheelchair and has impaired vision. But Edith, according to Price, still wants to go to the Seattle Art Museum. Their solution was to create an app that uses geolocation to provide large-text descriptions of exhibits nearby, making Edith’s overall visit more convenient and enjoyable.

Girls Who Code participants at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington were also able to design elements of physical computing. They worked with Arduino, an open-source electronics platform to build apps that interact with sensors and microphones. Hana and her team created a circuit board that turns a music app on and off with the clap of a hand.

Girls Who Code and programs like it tackle one of the tough challenges that we’re working to address through YouthSpark – that too few young people have access to computer science education. Too few receive hands-on experience with the kinds of hardware and software that Girls Who Code provides.

“Being in the computer science field had always been something that I thought about but never really had the tools or resources to delve deeply into,” observes Bemnet Assefa, a junior at the Evergreen High School Campus in Seattle’s Highline School District. “The Girls Who Code Summer Immersion program provided me with the opportunity. That’s why I’ve dedicated my summer to it, and I don’t regret it one bit.”

Bemnet also enjoyed spending time on Microsoft’s campus. “The environment is very laid back and there are a lot of resources that are available,” she says.

As they wrapped up their summer at Microsoft, Hana, Price and Bemnet reflected on how to reach other girls, and young people in general, about the near-infinite possibilities technology education presents. They agreed that common perceptions need to be confronted. “People think technology companies are full of geeks who wear thick glasses and don’t go outside,” Price observed, in a building situated a block away from one of Microsoft’s soccer fields. “Really it’s an awesome culture of people who do coding for the greater good.”

If you are inspired by these terrific young women, and want to learn about what a career in technology might hold for you, we invite you to visit our YouthSpark Hub, a place to explore free resources, such as coding lessons, and programs to help you imagine and create a better future. By accessing these and other opportunities, you, too, can be a girl (or a boy) who codes.

Human trafficking is a social problem as complex as it is horrific.  Often referred to as “modern day slavery,” the effect of this victimization is enormous.  It encompasses a crime that is both domestic and global, affects both men and women, injures both adults and children, and occurs concomitantly in both public and hidden spaces.

Similar to its efforts to combat online child exploitation, which led to its successful collaboration with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the creation of Photo DNA, Microsoft has begun partnering with leaders in the field  to combat child sex trafficking.  While a body of research is beginning to emerge regarding this horrible phenomenon, much remains to be learned.  Notwithstanding that reality, there are at least two points regarding child sex trafficking on which all would agree.  First, technology is playing an increasingly significant role in the commission of child sex trafficking – and technology also offers new ways to help fight these crimes.  Second, the solution to combatting this complex crime is multi-disciplinary and will demand leaders of all sectors of society to join together to counter this assault on our children at every front.

On July 24, Microsoft took an important step in its initiative to combat human trafficking by convening a “generator” discussion in Washington, D.C.  Generators are facilitated sessions designed to find opportunities for technology interventions within specific issue areas.  Consistent with its continuing work with the White House Office of Science and  Technology, Microsoft convened this generator as a forum for many of the nation’s leaders in the fight against child sex trafficking to join together and discuss ways in which technology is used and can be harnessed to disrupt child sex trafficking. 

The facilitated discussion, organized by Dan Bross, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship, and Courtney Gregoire, Senior Attorney in the Digital Crimes Unit, brought together representatives from law enforcement, non-governmental organizations, academia, federal authorities, and private industry to brainstorm about possible areas of focus for Microsoft as it moves forward in its commitment.  I had the opportunity to participate in this important meeting.  As one of six recipients of funding from Microsoft to conduct research regarding this issue, it was truly an honor to be able to share the results of my work with such a group of diverse leaders in the field.  I presented the participants my findings regarding the role of technology in child sex trafficking cases, which were recently published in the Duke Journal of Gender Law and Policy.

The bulk of the day was spent garnering information from these diverse actors regarding the manifestations and characteristics of child sex trafficking and the need for these groups to work together to combat it.  The participants, encouraged to think “outside the box,” generated several areas of potential focus. Although these organizations may take different positions on some issues, they found much common ground in their analysis and creative ideas for solutions. These are now being processed by Microsoft to determine next steps in contributing to a comprehensive response. 

Technology has, unfortunately, played a dual role in child exploitation.  Yet it can – and must - also play a role in disrupting this crime.  All who participated in the discussion in Washington are committed to that disruption and hopefully moved us closer to its realization.

Last week marked the 2014 Microsoft Imagine Cup World Finals, where more than 125 students, representing 34 countries around the world, traveled to Seattle for a week of inspiring presentations, intense hands-on judging and student project showcases – all to compete for the grand prize: $50,000 and a private meeting with Bill Gates.

Throughout the week, student teams competed in the Games, Innovation and World Citizenship categories to showcase their products and innovations to panels of judges. Student projects addressed a number of issues, including accessibility, social media, physical therapy “gamification” and much more.

More than 80 percent of World Citizenship teams created innovative ways to use technology in the medical field. This year’s grand prize winner, the Eyenaemia team from Australia, created an app that digitally screens for anemia by taking a simple selfie on your smart phone. Below is an overview of all the winners in each category:

Games Category:

• First Place, $50,000 prize and PAX Boot Camp: Team Brainy Studio (Russia) Project: TurnOn
• Second Place, $10,000 prize: Team Bomon (Korea) Project: Under Bed
• Third Place, $5,000 prize: Team Illogic (Egypt) Project: Puppy in Bubble

Innovation Category:

• First Place, $50,000 prize and Microsoft Ventures Boot Camp: Team Estimeet (New Zealand) Project: Estimeet
• Second Place, $10,000 prize: Team Tep (Hungary) Project: Tep
• Third Place, $5,000 prize: Team Butterfly (Bahrain) Project: Nail Polish Mixer

World Citizenship Category:

• First Place, $50,000 prize and Microsoft YouthSpark Boot Camp: Team Eyenaemia (Australia) Project: Eyenaemia
• Second Place, $10,000 prize: Team SMART crew (Taiwan) Project: Versatility of Usens: From Lab to Life
• Third Place, $5,000 prize: Team Access Earth (Ireland) Project: Access Earth

Imagine Cup Day at Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) brought the event to an exciting conclusion. Sponsored by Avanade, the day featured performances by D20 Brass Band and the School of Rock, among others. Imagine Cup competitors demonstrated their projects and the public had the opportunity to vote for their favorite Imagine Cup project. Team Chemicalium from Bosnia, took home the “Avanade People's Choice Award,” along with a check for $2,000. The event also featured a surprise, when Robert Feldstein, Director, Office of Policy and Innovation at the Seattle Mayor's Office, joined Lori Forte Harnick, General Manager, Microsoft Citizenship and Public Affairs, on stage to proclaim August 2^nd as Imagine Cup Day in Seattle.

Microsoft Imagine Cup is Microsoft’s premier student technology program and competition, and a cornerstone of the Microsoft YouthSpark initiative. It provides an opportunity for student technologists, developers and aspiring entrepreneurs from all academic backgrounds to collaborate, develop a technology application, create a business plan and gain a keen understanding of what is needed to bring a concept to market.

For more details on last week’s event and announcements, please visit the Imagine Cup Virtual Press Room.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (center) and Lori Forte Harnick, General Manager of Microsoft Citizenship & Public Affairs (fourth from left), on stage during the commitment announcement

At the age of 18, Thuy Pham found herself moving from low-end job to low-end job, living on her own and struggling to make ends meet while taking a few college courses to try to get ahead. This tale is all too familiar, unfortunately, and like many other young people facing similar challenges, Thuy had to drop her classes to focus simply on day-to-day survival.

But, here’s where Thuy’s story takes a new turn…riding the bus home from work one evening, exhausted and discouraged about the life she had hoped to build for herself, Thuy spotted an ad for Year Up – a nonprofit that offers IT skills training and internships for youth at risk of falling through the cracks and into a downward spiral of poverty and hopelessness. In this ad, Thuy spotted an opportunity to take a new path on her journey, one that would help her not only to survive, but possibly…just possibly...to thrive.

Year Up student Thuy Pham is currently interning at Microsoft to build her IT and technical skills

Today, Thuy is completing her “Year Up” – a 12-month course of study that includes an internship in Microsoft’s IT department, ready to take her new skills and job experience out into the thriving IT job marketplace, where chances are pretty good that she’ll be greeted eagerly by the growing number of companies seeking employees with IT skills.

Thuy’s journey is one of millions that Microsoft is proud to support through our global YouthSpark initiative, which matches young people around the world with opportunities for education, employment, and entrepreneurship.

Today, at the Clinton Global Initiative America event in Denver, Colorado, I had the honor of presenting a commitment to increase Microsoft’s actions to empower American youth to capture their opportunities for employment in the IT sector. Not only are we increasing our internship program with Year Up, we are also expanding our Job Shadow partnership program with Junior Achievement and expanding the availability of YouthSpark Summer Camps at Microsoft retail stores across the U.S.

A Junior Achievement job shadow event at the University Village Microsoft Store in Seattle

 Together, these three programs provide a continuum of educational opportunities for youth throughout their development – from ages 8 through 18 and beyond -- so that they can imagine and experience the opportunities that await them in the IT field, and so that they can write their own stories about their journeys of empowerment…of survival…and of success.

To learn more about resources and opportunities for youth, please visit the Microsoft YouthSpark Hub...and tell us your story, too.

You can follow Clinton Global America at this Livestream link.

Today was a great day, as nearly 800 Washington state students learned that not only have they received the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS) for the upcoming academic year, but the award has increased to a total possible award of $22,500 per student over five years (up from $17,000 in previous years).

This program provides a financial incentive for middle-and low-income students who have earned Washington state high school diplomas or GEDS to pursue science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and health care degrees at state universities and colleges.

In 2011, Microsoft and Boeing each committed $25 million to WSOS. And this year, thanks to a $25 million investment in our young people by the Washington State Legislature, the state’s contribution has grown to a total of $30 million. It adds up to a total of $80 million in funding to make it easier for young people to pursue their dreams -- students like high school senior Maria Ines Maravilla.

“Euphoria was my first reaction when I learned that I received the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship,” explains Maria. “This scholarship means a lot to me, not just financially, but also personally because this is my chance to start my first year of college on the right foot, with dreams and a smile on my face to know that I have taken a step closer to fulfilling my goals.”

Maria Ines Maravilla

The young woman from Yakima, the first in her family to go to college, hopes to study bio-engineering, become a scientist and work on life-saving vaccines. “I want to work in my own laboratory, surrounded by microscopes, pipettes, test tubes, gowns, gloves and of course, microorganisms. I want to be a scientist and working toward cures that save lives.”

Another student who has benefitted from the WSOS program is Tae Denwongkun. Tae, who comes from a family in which neither parents were able to attend college, graduated from Shorecrest High School. A University of Washington senior, Tae is about to complete his degree in information technology with a concentration in human-computer interactions. He hopes to land a job as a technical project manager or an information architect. “This scholarship means a lot to me,” he says. “I was glad that I didn't have to find part-time jobs urgently. Instead, I was able to focus on my school work and look for a job related to my studies. It was the most joyful moment during the summer of my junior year when I learned that I had received a scholarship.”

Tae Denwongkun

Then there’s University of Washington senior Janelle Van Hofwegen. Even though her tuition was covered by the Husky Promise program, she still had to hold down a job in order to pay for her living expenses, including her dorm room. During her first years of college, she worked at sub sandwich shop, berry processing plants and later as a teaching assistant. Janelle took her first computer science class as a sophomore and was hooked right away, declaring a double major of computer science and human-centered design and engineering. “Computer science is a good blend of being challenging and creative at the same time,” she says. “One of the reasons it’s creative is that you learn that there is more than one way to solve a problem.”

Working up to 20 hours a week while attempting a degree as challenging as computer science is tough. However, when she was awarded the WSOS scholarship, Janelle says, “I was able to focus on school and less on getting so many hours, which was a huge relief.” Janelle graduates this month and has landed a job as a software developer at the video-streaming company Hulu.com.

Janelle Van Hofwegen

Janelle is a great example – and one of many – of young people who are getting jobs in high-demand fields. Our support for WSOS is an extension of our global effort to connect young people with opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship through our YouthSpark initiative. This is especially important as we work to fill 25,000 STEM job openings in our state -- a number that is expected to double in the next five years. Closing the gap between job openings and qualified candidates would generate, according to a Boston Consulting Group/Washington Roundtable study, a total of $720 million in annual state tax revenues and $80 million in local tax revenues by 2017.

We encourage businesses of all sizes help make a difference in the lives of young people – and to help close that job skills gap – by contributing to the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship at www.waopportunityscholarship.org.