From L to R: Vice Provost for Student Access, Success, and Diversity Initiatives Gerry Doyle, Global Leaders Program Director Annie Senior, Corbett Kull (M.B.A. ’98), Vice President for Institutional Advancement Betsy Hughes.

On June 30, Monsanto Fund, the charitable arm of the agricultural technology company Monsanto, awarded $20,000 to Illinois Tech’s Global Leaders Program. The grant will be used to fund basic operations of the Global Leaders Program, which seeks to inspire Chicago-area high school students to lead and serve through the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Students in the Global Leaders Program, which is free and lasts two years, complete mentored projects that use STEM to address community issues in Chicago. Students also benefit from intensive STEM programming each summer, as well as workshops, field trips, and career exploration opportunities during the academic year. Additionally, Illinois Tech faculty and staff counsel students through the college application and financial aid process.

Corbett Kull (M.B.A. ’98), a graduate of Stuart School of Business and senior director at the Climate Corporation, a division of Monsanto, presented the $20,000 check in a public ceremony at Hermann Hall.

“Climate Corporation and the Monsanto Fund are excited to be able to support the Global Leaders Program at Illinois Institute of Technology. We are striving to get more Chicago high schoolers interested in STEM education,” said Kull. “The Global Leaders Program is important because it is also supporting kids who might not otherwise be exposed to science and technology careers.”

In the six years since the Global Leaders Program started, 100 percent of participants have gone on to college.