Talent for Tomorrow and the Booz Allen Foundation

Since 2020, the Booz Allen Foundation has fueled transformation in traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities:

• Funding $1 million in Innovation Grants to accelerate the development of COVID-19-related solutions
• Rapidly supplying preloaded mobile phones to Afghan refugees coming to the United States
• Launching a program of pathbuilder grants to empower diverse talent and drive community resilience.

A new initiative in this grant program is the Talent for Tomorrow Alliance, which brings people and groups together to build the next generation of STEM talent.

Booz Allen Foundation Executive Director Christine Hoisington talks about the Alliance, why it’s needed, and how it fits into the foundation’s—and the firm’s—mission to empower human potential and drive social impact.

With the Talent for Tomorrow Alliance, Booz Allen Foundation is working with a growing array of partners on the ground to support pathways into STEM careers. These pathways are for students typically overlooked by gifted and talented programs, school tracking efforts, and other resources as well as individuals who have difficulty accessing STEM opportunities due to obstacles such as a lack of credentials, degrees, or perpetuated cycles of inequity.

Hoisington explained that “on the ground” and “partnerships” are key to making the Talent for Tomorrow Alliance work.

“While we understand that there are not enough kids and youth pursuing STEM careers at a national and international level, where we can make a difference is locally, by really getting to know the players,” she said.

Working with local organizations as partners is critical, Hoisington explained. “There are groups out there already working in the communities where students and families are, so they’re more experts in what it will take to get kids interested and get them into programs. We work with them to see where the pain points are and how the foundation can work with them to make a difference.”

Funding this alliance played to each nonprofit partner’s strengths, helping create a diverse talent pipeline. Each partner has a role in helping youth ages 18-26 see pathways to STEM careers and then acquire relevant training and leadership skills.

• Spark the Journey (formerly Capital Partners for Education) and New Futures identify students and offer resources like college coaching and scholarships.
• Genesys Works provides training and jobs for high school students.
• Year Up and Per Scholas offer a dual-enrollment bridge program that provides in-demand technology training and professional development, industry-recognized credentials, internships, and support to attain thriving tech jobs, effectively closing the loop from pathway to opportunity. 

Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. is a separate entity that provides support to the foundation and shares its commitment to empowering people to change the world. The firm has long relationships with several of these groups. Booz Allen’s two-for-one employee giving campaign, connected to Giving Black Day in 2020, provided more than 50,000 Year Up students with access to technology for 1 year. The firm has provided mentors and pro bono support to Spark the Journey for several years, and Chief Engagement Executive Dennis Via serves on the board.

The Talent for Tomorrow Alliance brings Spark the Journey and Year Up together, so students can get mentoring while they train, Hoisington explained. The foundation is also funding efforts to improve the use of data, so the Alliance can identify where participants are falling behind and logical next steps.

The Talent for Tomorrow Alliance is one of several initiatives by the foundation and Booz Allen to reach diverse audiences, especially in the area of education and STEM. In 2020 in the Washington, DC, area alone, the firm gave to the District of Columbia Public Schools’ Empowered Learners Initiative that resulted in 400 hotspots to help students learn from home and sponsored a daily digital #STEAMWork series for children and their caregivers at the National Children’s Museum.

“With the younger kids, our focus is to inspire—especially before third grade. We want them to think of STEM classes as cool,” Hoisington said.

With youth who are older and already interested in STEM, the goal is to enable and empower. “They’re already interested in STEM and see real opportunity, but barriers stand in the way,” she said. “Maybe they dropped out of high school, or never saw college or technology as a path for their future, or lacked access to the extracurricular programs that could give them added learning and access to internships. We work with organizations aligned with our mission to help individuals move in a direction for future tech careers.”

“None of this would happen without the firm’s philanthropic support and Booz Allen employees who have donated to the foundation over the years,” Hoisington emphasized. In 2021, for example, two employee-giving campaigns raised over $100,000 through employee donations and firm matching.

Booz Allen employees also give of their time. The Talent for Tomorrow Alliance, for example, includes a pilot collaboration between Year Up and Spark the Journey on professional mentoring. “Our employees serve as mentors, helping the students sharpen their workforce skills and see firsthand what a career in STEM looks like,” Hoisington said. 

Booz Allen employees are also helping to shape what’s next for the Booz Allen Foundation. “Based on recommendations from employees in our San Diego office and our partnership with the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, we’ve been introduced to a specific neighborhood and high school in southeast San Diego,” said Hoisington. “Here we’re determining where we can focus our grants and support in a collaborative effort similar to what we’re doing in Washington, DC.”

It all comes full circle, Hoisington said. “Our employees empower the foundation so we can empower the next generation of STEM talent.”