Giving Compass' Take:

• IBM has announced its support for partnerships that encourage more participation in STEM programs for Hispanic students and is launching a mentorship program to further this initiative. 

• How can other tech companies follow suit? How can donors help encourage these types of partnerships? 

• Learn more about how to support STEM education. 

During Hispanic Heritage Month, IBM has announced additional measures to support educational and career opportunities for the Hispanic students.

A long-term focus on education within Latino and Hispanic communities can bring forth structural changes in society, Guillermo Miranda, the vice president and global head of corporate social responsibility at IBM, told HR Dive, Education Dive's sister publication. Research by the tech company's Institute for Business Value found that 67% of Hispanic respondents said that they have to work harder to succeed because of their identity.

IBM is working with policy makers and education leaders to increase the number of Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH) schools in the U.S., Miranda said. IBM hosts 220 P-TECH school partners worldwide, and the company plans to expand the program to 150 schools in the U.S. — half of the company's total commitment of 300 by 2023, he said.

Established in 2011, P-TECH is IBM's public-education model that provides an opportunity, at no cost, for students from underserved backgrounds to earn both their high school diploma and a two-year associate degree linked to STEM fields. More than half (55%) of the U.S. P-TECH schools are majority Hispanic, according to IBM data.

IBM is also launching a Mentorship Marathon beginning with U.S. P-TECH schools and the i.am College Track. The marathon will match 1,000 IBM mentors with the students, and will also encourage other Fortune 500 companies to join in. "This is in Los Angeles with IBMers that understand Spanish and can be role models for this mostly Hispanic community that is going to benefit from this action," Miranda said.

Read the full article about supporting STEM pathways for Hispanic students by Sheryl Estrada at Education Dive.