MEAF – Strategies
Investing in innovative strategies to empower possible
Of the one in five Americans with a disability, only 22% are engaged in the workforce. Of those, 16% are unemployed. To help address this pressing issue, the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation launched a national M>PWR possible initiative in 2011 designed to empower youth with disabilities to lead productive lives. By investing its philanthropic resources in innovative approaches to prepare youth with disabilities for employment, the foundation is planting seeds of change to identify and help bring effective strategies to scale so young people with disabilities can successfully transition to the competitive workforce.
Current Strategies and Recent Grants
Inclusive Education
Supporting inclusive, quality education to prepare youth with disabilities for jobs of the future
RECENT EDUCATION GRANTS
Science Buddies
Enabling STEM Careers for Disabled Students & Career Discovery Tool
2019-2023
$275,000
Gallaudet University
TechEds & Merging Deaf Talent with 21st Century Design Skills
2000-2003, 2019-2021
$370,000
Kids Included Together
Inclusion Initiative & Disability Inclusion in STEM
2006-2014, 2019
$482,450
The Dream Partnership
Growing Together: Aquaponics Employment Transition Program
2018-2019
$150,000
Increasing the Talent Pipeline
Increasing the talent pipeline for in-demand jobs by focusing on unique abilities
RECENT GRANTS
Exceptional Minds Design Studio
Job Readiness & Placement in Animation & Visual Effects
2017-2022
$155,000
GiGi’s Playhouse, Inc.
GiGi’s Professionals & Learning Management System
2019-2022
$345,000
Uniquely Abled Project
Time to Shine: Supporting Successful Employment for Youth with Autism
2020-2021
$120,000
Conservation Legacy
Empowering Youth with Disabilities in the Outdoor Economy
2021-2022
$193,900
Mentoring & Internships
Providing access to mentoring & internship opportunities to empower youth with disabilities
RECENT GRANTS
American Association of People with Disabilities
Summer Internship Program & Alumni Network
2002-2013 & 2016-2021
$1,433,000
University of Hawai’i-College of Education-Center on Disability Studies
Turn the Tables Reverse Career Fairs
2020-2021
$50,000
Partners for Youth with Disabilities
On-line Mentoring, National Disability Mentoring Coalition, Campus Career Connect & Career Readiness
1992-1995, 2003-2007, 2012, 2015, 2017-2019, 2021-2022
$793,400
University of Washington-DO-IT Center
DO-IT: accessSTEM Careers
1999-2000, 2014-2016
$283,000
School-Industry Partnership
Opening doors to education & employment through school-industry partnership
RECENT GRANTS
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center & Banner Health Foundation
Project SEARCH
2003-2007, 2012-2014, 2016-2022
$730,052
Westchester Institute for Human Development-Inclusive Communities Project
Intelligent Lives, Mr. Connolly Has ALS & The Disability Roadmap Project
2016-2021
$380,000
Bridges from School to Work
Replication & NextGen Impact Study
1991-1993, 2014-2016, 2020-2021
$511,475
