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Since 2002, Oracle has provided educational grants to the UNCF. The grants fund scholarship and internship programs that help participating students gain actual work experience across multiple disciplines. This year, Oracle added a new dimension to the internship program by providing the interns with a community involvement activity. For the first time, Oracle included an opportunity for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) summer interns to participate in volunteer activities through Oracle Volunteers.
"The purpose of having the interns participate in the Oracle Volunteers program was for interns to better understand the importance of community outreach and our overall Corporate Citizenship goals," said Jane Robertson, Oracle Diversity. "Most of these kids have done plenty of community service along the way. However, it was important for them to see how well developed these programs are in the corporate environment—especially within Oracle."
Through Oracle Volunteers, Oracle's employee volunteer program, the interns engaged in volunteer projects in San Francisco, California, and Reston, Virginia:
The Bay Area project focused on helping the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in their efforts to restore the historic Presidio of San Francisco to its natural state. On July 5, 2006, the interns helped transplant native seedlings, which will be planted at a future date within the Presidio to restore the habitat for native wildlife.
The Reston project provided support to the Embry Rucker Community Shelter. On July 20, 2006, the interns served lunch to the shelter residents, engaged the residents in recreational activities, and assisted the shelter with sorting clothing donations.
"All of the interns demonstrated their enthusiasm, energy, and genuine interest in serving our clients as they dished out lunch, organized our donations storage closet, and led several lively games of bingo," said Susan Stolpe, Volunteer Manager, Reston Interfaith/Embry Rucker Community Shelter. "The shelter clients (and staff!) thoroughly enjoyed their participation, and we hope that they also had a rewarding afternoon."
"It was a delight to volunteer at the Embry shelter," said Jonathan Acheampong, UNCF intern at Reston. "The smiles and the energy that filled the atmosphere served as motivation to explore other ways to help out, and entertain others. I believe as fortunate as we are, we need to find ways and means to give back to community, and contribute to the development of its populace. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to make someone smile."
"The interns had an incredible experience volunteering this year," said Traci Wade, University Recruiter and UNCF Scholars Program Manager, Oracle. "Having had the honor to volunteer alongside the interns at the Embry shelter, I saw not only their enthusiasm but also their motivation to help and engage with the residents. Volunteering was not only a personal rewarding experience for the interns in both Reston and Redwood Shores, but they also gained knowledge of Oracle's initiative and strong commitment to give back to the community."
Oracle's UNCF Scholars program is currently in its fifth year. "We are more committed than ever to offering the interns a well balanced internship program that offers invaluable work experience, professional development seminars, and community service activities," Traci explained. "In addition, interns receive a clear understanding of corporate culture, which helps to better prepare them to enter the workforce and hopefully become successful future employees for Oracle."
Oracle is committed to using our technology and resources to advance education in innovative ways, promote diversity, enrich the life of communities, and protect the environment. We are proud that the same innovative spirit behind Oracle's technological success also drives the creation of innovative global corporate citizenship initiatives that benefit our communities. By working together, Oracle Diversity, Oracle Giving, and Oracle Volunteers are an example of our initiatives in action.
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