Healthy, robust communities create opportunities that allow us to live more meaningful lives. Sony supports a diverse set of programs and initiatives designed to enhance the quality of life in the communities in which we operate.
For example, since 2007, Sony Corporation of America (SCA) has been a proud supporter of the Theatre Development Fund’s education and accessibility programs - including its internationally renowned Autism Theatre Initiative - which have helped make the unique experience of theatre available to everyone. SCA also supports a variety of diverse community-based non-profit organizations and initiatives, including the Harlem Educational Activities Fund (HEAF), whose goal it is to help underserved inner-city youth develop the intellectual curiosity, academic ability, social values, and personal resilience to ensure their success in school, career and life; the Hispanic Federation’s Early Childhood Literacy Education Campaign, which introduces important resources to Latino parents that can be used at home to boost the skills of their children so they are better prepared to succeed in school; Older Adults Technology Services (OATS), which provides free technology training classes for older adults, ranging from simple e-mail instruction and Internet exploration, to digital photography and more; and Materials for the Arts (MFTA), which collects unneeded items from businesses and individuals, making these donations available for free to other non-profit arts organizations, government agencies and all of New York City’s 1800 public schools.
In addition to supporting the studio’s sustainability and diversity and inclusion initiatives, SPE is dedicated to preserving arts education and providing career pathways programs and access to underrepresented youth by establishing and funding unique programs such as the Sony Pictures Media Arts Program with California Institute for the Arts and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as a Makerspace at the San Fernando Institute of Media Studies in the Pacoima Promise Neighborhood. The Studio has also provided broad ongoing support for arts educational programming for the Culver City school district and K-12 sequential arts education in coordination with the Arts for All: Los Angeles County Regional Blueprint for Arts Education initiative. The studio was instrumental in the development of the district’s Front & Center Theatre Collaborative, as well as the creation of the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (AVPA) at the Culver City High School, which just celebrated its 20th Anniversary.
Sony Electronics (SEL) is dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities where employees work and live. The company is focused on inspiring and educating youth through the use of technology and focuses its efforts on supporting education in the classroom. SEL partners with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to support the Imagemakers National Photography Program & Contest. SEL also provides a number of in-kind donations each year for use by educational non-profits and academic institutions.