Berkshire Grey’s Picking With Purpose Donates Learning Kits for Boston Public School Students

Teaming up with United Way, the Intelligent Enterprise Robotics company provides STEM-related supplies to support more than 2,400 students in the Boston area through the company’s Picking With Purpose program.

BEDFORD & BOSTON, Mass., September 1, 2021 — Berkshire Grey (Nasdaq: BGRY), the leader in AI-enabled robotic solutions that automate supply chain processes, has partnered with United Way to donate learning kits to Boston Public School (BPS) students as part of its Picking With Purpose program. Exposing more young people to STEM careers is a way to put them on a path to success in college and career. By donating learning kits that support STEM programming, Berkshire Grey is helping United Way reach its goal to present engaging STEM opportunities to 10,000 Boston middle school students by 2022.

“Berkshire Grey is deeply invested in the success of our community and furthering the STEM education of Boston’s students. As a technology leader, it’s important for us to be a part of the solution, and our Picking With Purpose program provides us a forum to get involved and support our community,” said Jessica Moran, SVP and General Manager at Berkshire Grey. “These learning kits will provide BPS teachers supplies to enhance their STEM curriculums and each student’s learning experience. We will also participate in Massachusetts STEM Week through United Way’s BoSTEM program in October. We are committed to helping students in our community uncover their potential in STEM-based careers.”

“Together, Berkshire Grey and United Way are committed to both ensuring schools have the supplies they need and engaging students in STEM learning opportunities,” said Bob Giannino, President and Chief Executive Officer at United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. “Corporate partnerships are essential for creating an equitable and sustainable STEM economy in our city and giving every kid the chance to thrive in the field they choose.”

Led by United Way, Boston Public Schools, and Boston After School & Beyond, BoSTEM imagines a STEM workforce that reflects the demographics of Boston Public Schools with a focus to promote economic mobility and empowerment. As a citywide effort, the initiative coordinates resources and partnerships to provide Boston Public School students with meaningful STEM experiences that will strengthen their STEM career aspirations, social-emotional skills, and academic achievement. BoSTEM also works with out-of-school time programs and with corporate volunteers to offer experiential learning with industry professionals. Since BoSTEM launched in 2015, ​​77% of participating students reported positive gains in STEM interest overall and 80% of students reported positive change in social and emotional skills. For more information, visit: https://unitedwaymassbay.org/BoSTEM.

Berkshire Grey’s Picking With Purpose program was launched in November 2020 to address food instability in the country, which was exacerbated by the pandemic. This need inspired Berkshire Grey to serve vulnerable populations by using its intelligent robotic sortation solutions to assemble meals. Since the program launched, the company has provided meals for 34,000 people through nonprofit organizations such as City Harvest in New York City and the Greater Boston Food Bank in Massachusetts. Today, the program has expanded to serve local communities such as the Boston Public School system through United Way.

To learn more about Berkshire Grey’s Picking With Purpose program or to become a partner, visit https://berkshiregrey.com/about-us/picking-with-purpose/.