GENERAL ELECTRIC (GE)

"The GE Foundation's support of UNICEF's early childhood
development programs in China and Mexico
focuses on mobilizing both attention and resources
on the needs of thousands of pre-school aged
children - especially those under the age of three.
Good nutrition, health care, clean water and sanitation,
and a nurturing environment during these early
years can last a lifetime."[1]

Company and Industry Profile:

General Electric (GE) is a diversified technology, media, and financial services company dedicated to creating products that range from aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, television programming, and plastics. GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs approximately 300,000 people.   

The company has corporate offices in Mexico City and 33 operation sites spread throughout the country. Out of these sites, eight are located along the U.S. - Mexico border: GE Infrastructure in Tijuana, Baja California Norte; three GE Consumer & Industrial plants and one GE Healthcare in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua; GE Consumer & Industrial plant in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila; GE Consumer & Industrial plant in Nogales, Sonora; and GE Consumer & Industrial plant in Reynosa, Tamaulipas.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy:

As part of its CSR policies, GE stresses their commitment to integrity, corporate governance, innovation, environment, health and safety, quality, and diversity. The company defines “community” as the area in which its employees live and work.[2] In 2004, GE contributed over $150 million dollars and one million volunteer hours to support local and global organizations in the areas of education, human service and healthcare, environment, and the arts. According to Lorena de Lima[3], the values that underlie GE’s CSR strategy are their desire to carry out good business practices, improve employee morale, and be good corporate citizens in their communities.

To achieve its CSR goals, the company constituted the GE Foundation in 1953, with the premise that “quality education ushers in a lifetime of opportunity, which helps build a strong and diverse workforce and citizenry”.[4] The Foundation has emphasized GE’s giving, stressed the urgent need for quality education, especially for individuals from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds, and supported high-impact initiatives that improve access, equity, and quality of public education.

Community Outreach:

In education, where the Foundation has focused its programs in China, India, and Mexico, GE seeks to improve school readiness and primary education by improving schools and preparing youth for the workplace. In China, GE is carrying out the “Project Hope Teacher Training Program” to support professional development for teachers from remote communities; in India, the “Pre-School and Primary School Access” program spurs academic achievement among disadvantaged children.

Similarly, in Mexico, the GE Foundation works toward promoting child and youth educational development through the following programs:

1. Partnerships with Junior Achievement Mexico, also known as “Impulsa al Jóven Emprendedor (Impulsa)”. This partnership implements programs in seven schools that help children to develop entrepreneur skills and values, and to prepare disadvantaged youth for academic and career opportunities.
2. Promoting Positive Development of Youth Initiative, a partnership between the GE Foundation and the International Youth Foundation (IYF): This program promotes healthy lifestyles, employability, and community engagement for young people in India and Mexico.
3. Early Childhood Development Initiative: Through a grant of $1.27 million awarded to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF over a two year period, GE supports early childhood development programs in Mexico and China to prepare children to reach school age healthy and well-nourished, intellectually curious, socially confident, and equipped with a solid foundation for lifelong learning.

U.S. – Mexico Border Projects:

Along the US-Mexico border region, GE sustains its mission of promoting educational opportunity for disadvantaged youth. Specifically, GE is promoting two educational programs: one in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, and the other in Mexicali, Baja California, Norte.

• GE - Junior Achievement, Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua: GE’s collaboration with Junior Achievement (JA) in Ciudad Juarez began in 2004, when representatives from Impulsa approached GE headquarters in Mexico City and asked them to support JA’s educational initiatives in community schools, through the participation of GE employees as volunteer teachers.

In 2004, as a result of a pilot project, GE decided to expand their participation to every state in the country. At that time, 30 employees in Cd. Juarez, from Planta PROCON, became part of the initiative by assisting JA regional offices and adopting two local schools. Currently, the company is preparing another group of 15 to 20 volunteers to join the project.

According to Ms. de Lima, GE was attracted by JA’s program because of its nature, adaptability, and short-term objectives with tangible results and also, because the organization “did not ask for money, but rather for time.”[5] To date, GE Foundation has contributed over $100,000 to JA nationwide, and 7,500 GE employee hours in which more than 750 people have participated.

• GE - CETYS Universidad, Mexicali, Baja California: GE has been supporting the Universidad Centro de Idiomas’ TEFL Certification Program (CETYS) since 2002.[6] To date, the foundation has donated a total of $200,000 to the program through matching grants.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certification Program is designed to prepare teachers and prospective teachers to meet the growing needs for bilingual training in Baja California, as well as other regions of northern Mexico, by providing them with the necessary skills to attain higher levels of professionalism, effectiveness, and innovation. Core courses focus on theory, principles of good language teaching, and creative applications of various methodologies.

Students in the certification program are motivated individuals who develop teaching skills for a range of environments: primary, secondary, college, and adult classrooms; content instruction programs; community college, college, and university programs; workplace communication programs; private institutions; and public and private institutions abroad.

In contrast to their JA – GE collaboration, GE is strictly a financial supporter of the CETYS program. Nonetheless, as Ms. de Lima pointed out during the interview, the main reason for GE involvement in this project is because of its multiplying effect. In other words, by preparing a small number of teachers and prospective teachers, GE impacts the education of a larger group of aspiring English-language students.[7]