Nelsen Middle School Plays Host to Boeing Press Conference

RENTON, Sept. 19, 2001—Principal Jim Noddings, along with staff and students at Nelsen Middle School today hosted a Boeing press conference as that company announced a commitment of $2.5 million for early childhood learning and science education programs in Washington state.

Alan Mulally, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said the money, most of which will be offered in the form of grants dubbed Boeing Flight to the Future, will provide focused contributions over the next four years. Mulally presented two of the grants, including $450,000 to the Foundation for Early Learning and $900,000 to the Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform (LASER) program.

The remaining $1.5 million will be made available through 2004 as grants for public schools in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane counties.

Renton schools superintendent Dolores Gibbons stole the show during the press conference as she spoke of the commitment of educators, the public and businesses such as Boeing, to work in concert to prepare young people for the future. “It is partnerships such as this, and people in leadership positions such as the Boeing leaders here today, that help teachers and staff offer students a chance to be the best they can be,” Superintendent Gibbons said. She went on to emphasize the need for adults to act as positive role models. “Young people are watching us today more than ever,” Superintendent Gibbons said. “Let’s not let what happened last week be the defining moment in their lives. Let’s give them hope and show them their future is as bright now as it was before.”

The event was almost upstaged by the news that Boeing will eliminate 20,000 to 30,000 jobs in its commercial airplane unit by the end of 2002. Boeing brass asked media in attendance to hold questions regarding that announcement, which came late last night, until after the education grant announcement was made.

Immediately after the press conference, media from television, radio and print organizations huddled around Mulally in front of the school asking questions about the layoffs and about Boeing’s plans to engineer planes so they cannot be used by terrorist.
For answers to those questions, and a chance to see some of the education grant announcement, tune in to tonight’s local newscasts at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. on channels 4, 5, 7 and 13.