Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation

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Awards Archives

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Mitsubishi Electric honored by National Inclusion Project

posted December 02, 2009
RALEIGH, NC-Over the past year, MEAF has supported the National Inclusion Project, which is working in partnership with the National Summer Learning Association, to develop a curriculum designed to help summer camp programs more fully include children with disabilities, and encourage campers of all abilities to engage in meaningful service-learning projects. The program is being piloted at camps in Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, and Ohio.

On October 17th, the National Inclusion Project recognized Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA with its Corporate Champion Award at a star-studded gala event in Raleigh. Sally Wade, VP of HR for the corporation, and Kevin Webb from MEAF attended the event to receive the award. Also receiving Champion Awards that evening were Patrick Henry Hughes, along with his father and band director, and the Sparkle Effect High School Cheerleading Squad for their work to change attitudes and stereotypes.

You can learn more about the National Inclusion Project and awardees in a story in the Triangle Business Journal: <triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2009/09/28/newscolumn1.html>

Or by visiting the National Inclusion Project website: <www.inclusionproject.org/>

MEAF Executive Director honored with KIT Founders Award

posted December 02, 2009
SAN DIEGO, CA—Rayna Aylward, Executive Director of the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, was presented with the Kids Included Together (KIT) Founders Award at a luncheon ceremony on March 20th in San Diego. Jan Giacinti, KIT CEO, made the surprise announcement at the 5th Annual KIT National Conference before an audience of more than 200 educators, recreation specialists, and representatives of youth-serving organizations.

KIT, based in San Diego, specializes in training community-based youth organizations on how to include children with disabilities in their regular programs. The KIT Founders Award was established four years ago to recognize the exemplary efforts of an individual, organization or foundation in leveling the playing field for people with disabilities. “The standards for this award are so high,” said Giacinti, “that until today there has only been one recipient of the KIT Founders Award.”

In presenting the award, Giacinti declared that Aylward has “done more to foster the process of inclusion, advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, and motivate organizations of national scale to recognize disability as a part of the diversity initiative than she’d ever take credit for.

“She enabled a foundation of relatively small size to turn a ripple into a wave that is reaching from coast to coast,” continued Giacinti. Aylward was selected to receive the award for her ability to make modest investments that can maximize impact and bring out the best in an organization for the benefit of people with disabilities. Giacinti shared the example of how Aylward facilitated a lasting partnership between KIT, with just six employees in California, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, which has thousands of employees across the country, to make a lasting impact on the lives of youth with and without disabilities.

In closing, Giacinti said of Aylward, “Her vision is crisp and clear – create a world where all people regardless of their abilities are welcomed, valued, and included as contributing members of our society.”

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MEAF receives Top Award from Girl Scouts

posted May 01, 2008

MEAF Director Rayna Aylward receives plaque from Girl Scout Tatyana McFadden, who uses a wheelchair

WASHINGTON, DC-The Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital (GSCNC) presented MEAF with its highest honor, The Officers’ Award, on March 7th. The Award is given annually to the organization, corporation or individual that has had the most positive impact on the lives of girls.

MEAF was recognized for its Inclusion Initiative, which aims to fully integrate youth with disabilities into society. MEAF staff have been working with GSCNC informally for several years to include more girls with disabilities in Scouting. This year, MEAF begins a formal partnership with GSCNC through a three-year $100,000 grant to develop inclusion tools and recruit more girls with disabilities. MEAF is also partnering with the national Girl Scout organization, GSUSA, through a three-year $150,000 grant, to promote inclusion throughout the national Scouting network.

The Award was presented at a gala dinner in Washington DC. During the presentation, several girls with disabilities talked about the impact Scouting has had on their lives, and the parent of a blind girl told a moving story about how his daughter has thrived as a Scout. In addition to the award trophy, MEAF was given a plaque of six special “badges” created to celebrate inclusion. MEAF Executive Director Rayna Aylward told the audience of more than 300 people that the presentation itself demonstrated the value of inclusion. MEAF Board member Jack Greaf (President & CEO, Mitsubishi Electric Power Products) noted that everything MEAF does is a “team effort,” and asked the other MEAF representatives at the dinner to join him onstage in accepting the award.

We can all feel proud of this tribute to our collective efforts, and inspired to work even harder to create a society that values people of all abilities.

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Fourth Annual Disability Funders Network William Diaz Impact Award

posted May 06, 2006

L to R: Jeanne Argoff, DFN; Rayna Aylward, MEAF; and Son Park, HSC

May 6, 2006, Pittsburgh, PA – The Disability Funders Network (DFN) today announced the selection of the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation as the recipient of its 2005 William Diaz Impact Award. The award, sponsored by The HSC Foundation (Washington, DC) was presented on May 6, 2006 at the Disability Awareness Showcase at the Council on Foundations’ Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA.

The award honors the memory of Bill Diaz, former member of the DFN Board, the first Latino program officer at the Ford Foundation, a founding director of the Puerto Rico Community Foundation, a director of the Council on Foundations and a senior fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. At the request of Bill’s family, DFN’s recognition of his impact on disability funding is being used to further the mission of DFN to expand and enhance the philanthropic world’s support of disability issues.

Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF) has focused its considerable energy and insight on enhancing the independence, productivity and community inclusion of children and youth with disabilities. Though a national grants program and employee grant programs, MEAF has supported projects promoting young people with disabilities as they complete school, work in competitive jobs, fill internships on Capitol Hill and participate as full partners in mainstream youth organizations. Recognized as a leader in the disability funding world, MEAF has paved the way for other foundations working to promote the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of society.

Accepting the award was MEAF Executive Director, Rayna Aylward, who has led the Foundation since its inception and who was a co-founder of the Disability Funders Network, a colleague of Bill Diaz, and co-founder of the Youth-to-Work Coalition--a rapidly growing collaboration by foundations, corporate employers, government representatives and disability organizations aimed at encouraging companies to hire young people with disabilities as interns.

“We at the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation are profoundly honored by the award, and I personally am greatly moved by this reflection of the spirit of Bill Diaz, an extraordinary leader and treasured colleague. I’d like to thank our nonprofit partners and company associates, whose efforts in the national arena and local communities are the real basis for MEAF’s achievements. And I must pay tribute to the DFN itself – a beacon in the disability field for the past 12 years – whose work has immeasurably deepened the impact of our foundation and many others.”

The Diaz Award, including a plaque and a $500 check, was presented by Son Park (HSC Foundation), DFN’s Diaz Award Committee Chairperson, and Jeanne Argoff, DFN Executive Director, in a ceremony attended by Steve Gunderson, recently appointed as President and CEO of the Council on Foundations. Mr. Gunderson was previously an eight-term member of the House of Representatives and was a sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation was one of the first private funders to support disability organizations working to make the ADA a reality as one of the founding members of the Funding Partnership for People with Disabilities.

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Disability Funders Network. DFN is an association of foundations and corporations whose mission is to promote awareness, support and inclusion of people with disabilities and disability issues in grantmaking programs and organizations. DFN’s major goals are to increase funding for disability issues and demonstrate to grantmakers how disability concerns can be an essential part of all philanthropic programs.

HSC Foundation. The mission of the HSCF is to facilitate access to appropriate services for individuals with special needs and their families in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, and to participate in related local, regional, and national projects with government, private, and philanthropic organizations.

Mitsubishi Electric US Companies/Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation Honored with 2005 Eagle Award

posted November 22, 2005

Executive Vice President of Mitsubishi Electric US, Shoji Hibara, proudly displays the 2005 Eagle Award

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), a national disability rights law firm based in Oakland CA, presents annual Eagle and Turkey Awards. On Tuesday, November 22nd, during its 8th Annual Awards presentation, DRA named the Mitsubishi Electric US companies an Eagle award recipient. Eagle Awards give thanks to corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits that have demonstrated outstanding efforts to advance the rights of people with disabilities. The Mitsubishi Electric companies were honored for “creating positive change for young people with disabilities” and for the work of the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, whose mission is to promote the independence, productivity and community inclusion of children and youth with disabilities.

Other 2005 Eagle award recipients included: ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, for its home renovations for people with disabilities, and Wilderness Inquiry, an inclusive outdoor recreation organization that is funded by the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation.

Shoji Hibara, Executive Vice President of Mitsubishi Electric US, represented the companies at the award ceremony, along with Rayna Aylward, Executive Director of the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation. In accepting the award, Mr. Hibara said: “We established the Foundation in 1991. After much discussion, we decided to focus our work on supporting young persons with disabilities…This DRA Award confirms that we have chosen the right direction.” Ms. Aylward added: “This award also honors the wonderful work of our employee volunteers across the country. For the past 15 years, they have donated thousands of hours to organizations in their communities that support youth with disabilities.”

While Eagles are few and far between, noted the DRA presenters, there are many more turkeys roaming the land. “Turkey” Awards are given to those who have impeded the progress of people with disabilities in the areas of employment, education, health care, transportation, recreation and housing. This year, DRA presented Turkey Awards to: the state of Georgia, California Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger, Taco Bell Corp., and the website Hotels.com.