Microsoft 2003 Annual Report Download - page 6

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Inspiring a new generation of thinkers
Our mission as a business and our mission as a corporate citizen are one
and the same: helping enable individuals and their communities to achieve
their full potential. As a company, our optimism and passion for innovation are
balanced with our focus on creating real solutions for the tough challenges facing
communities around the world. To help meet these challenges, last
year Microsoft contributed nearly $264 million in cash and software to nonprofit
organizations striving to improve lives and strengthen communities. By providing
innovative technology to help remove obstacles and create opportunities,
we affirm our belief in the ability of people to make the world a better place.
Using technology as a tool for change
Through computers and the Internet, modern technology is creating an era of unprecedented access to information. And yet there are
individuals and communities that face a significant disadvantage because they do not have access to technology resources and
training. With technical skills, supporting infrastructure, and the availability of more learning environments, an unlimited number of
opportunities could be created for millions of people around the world. By providing technology resources and technology skills
development through community-based learning centers, Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential program is designed to help create social and
economic opportunities that can change people’s lives and transform communities.
Creating opportunities for 21st-century learners
Nowhere else is our mission to help individuals realize their potential more immediate and apparent than in education. Three key
initiatives within the Partners in Learning program highlight Microsoft’s commitment to improving the learning experience.
A new program called Fresh Start for Donated PCs provides Windows operating systems for computers donated to schools without
original licensing documentation. School Agreement Subscription offers software at significantly discounted prices to schools around
the world. And Learning Grants provides cash investments to fund curriculum development and technology training for both students
and teachers. While they address different needs, all of the initiatives within the Partners in Learning program recognize the
importance of education in empowering learners to realize their true potential.