Greater Community

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.

Red SDG4 Quality Education logo featuring a book and pencil icon.

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

Dreams for Schools

Project CODE: AppJam+
2019-2020
$175,000

Gallaudet University

TechEds & Merging Deaf Talent with 21st Century Design Skills
2000-2003, 2019-2021
$370,000

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs

Inclusive Manufacturing Camp Design & Launch
2020-2022
$117.500

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

Burgundy SDG8 Decent Work and Economic Growth logo featuring a bar graph with arrows showing growth icon.

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

Blue Star Recyclers

National Replication & e-Stewards ADVANCE+
2018-2020; 2021
$550,000

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

California Academy of Sciences

Museums 4Inclusion
2018
$45,000

National Industries for the Blind

NSITE Cisco Academy
2021-2022
$95,700

Aspiritech Nfp

Aspiritech Remote Employment Academy
2021-2022
$100,000

Conservation Legacy

Empowering Youth with Disabilities in the Outdoor Economy
2021-2022
$193,900

Els for Autism Foundation

Work Experience Program
2021-2022
$100,000

Pink SDG10 Reduced Inequalities logo featuring an equal sign with arrows pointing up down and side to side icon.

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

The Washington Center

Dc Internships for Students with Disabilities
2014-2015
$149,700

Disability:IN

NextGen Mentor Exchange
2012-2017
$304,578

University of Washington-DO-IT Center

DO-IT: accessSTEM Careers
1999-2000, 2014-2016
$283,000

Blue SDG17 Partnership for the Goals logo featuring five interlocking circles icon.

School-Industry Partnership

Opening doors to education & employment through school-industry partnership

RECENT GRANTS

Butler Tech Foundation

Project LIFE: National Replication Initiative
2019-2021
$225,000

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

Perkins School for the Blind

Career Launch@Perkins
2019-2021
$225,000

Minnesota Diversified Industries

Career Skills on the Road
2020-2021
$60,000

Bridges from School to Work

Replication & NextGen Impact Study
1991-1993, 2014-2016, 2020-2021
$511,475