Lockheed Martin Donates Computers to Local High School to Foster Digital Literacy, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Initiatives

New Reading Program Benefits Hazel Green High School Students

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has donated 100 laptop computers to Hazel Green High School for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and a new program to boost students’ reading comprehension. The used computers are from the Lockheed Martin-managed Outsourcing Desktop Initiative for NASA (ODIN) program at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, and are donated in partnership with NASA, following the guidelines of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act (1980).

A 2009 University of Alabama Huntsville research program, led by Dr. Alanna Frost, Assistant Professor, English, and Dr. Philip E. Kovacs, Assistant Professor, Education, showed that reading comprehension increased 60 percent for students who used computers to research their assignments over students who did not use computers. In support of this program at Hazel Green High School, Lockheed Martin delivered 100 laptops to the school on March 23, 2011. The planning and testing of the digital literacy program has been underway throughout the 2010-2011 school year, and the formal program for nearly 400 students will begin with the 2011-2012 school year.

“We are delighted to be able to donate these computers to such a promising program,” said Darrell Graddy, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Enterprise IT Solutions division. “Good reading comprehension is the foundation for all learning.”

Yvonne Quinn-Cantrell, Lockheed Martin deputy program manager, and Burt Bright, MSFC ODIN’s Delivery Order Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative, presented the laptops to Darrell F. Long, Principal, on March 29, 2010.

Since Lockheed Martin has supported the ODIN program, the Corporation and NASA have donated more than 106,000 computers to worthwhile community organizations around the nation and the world including schools, libraries and community learning centers.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 132,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s 2010 sales from continuing operations were $45.8 billion.