Established in 1991 with an initial endowment of 15 million US dollars, the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF) issues grants and implements a variety of programs throughout the United States that seek to use information technology to improve the lives of young Americans with physical or mental disabilities. These include support for professional internships that open doors to new opportunities and more fulfilling lives. MEAF also makes cash and material donations to victims of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast region of the US in 2005. For more information, please visit MEAF.org.

Girl Scouts learn about inclusion in Washington, DC

As part of its national inclusion initiative to educate youth-serving organizations about how to fully include youth with disabilities in their program, the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation supports the Girl Scouts of the USA and its Include All Girls Initiative.

In the spring of 2011, 250 Girl Scouts and leaders from across the United States, participated in a National Keys to Leadership Conference at American University in Washington, DC to learn about promising practices in inclusion. These leaders will bring these ideas back to their home councils so young people with disabilities can more fully included in Girl Scouting.

MEAF provides support to the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) based in Washington, D.C., for a unique program called the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation Congressional Internship Program. This program provides summer (8-week long) internships on Capitol Hill to college students with disabilities. Now in its eighth year, the program gives participants first-hand experience in how the Federal government works, and also educates members of Congress about the needs and abilities of people with disabilities. The program has been responsible for "life-transforming" experiences among the students, many of whom have changed their career goals to work in public service.

Photo: President (then Senator) Barack Obama with 2008 MEAF Congressional intern Kevin Fritz.

Ari Ne'eman, an alumnus of the 2007 MEAF-AAPD Congressional Internship Program and executive director of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, was recently appointed to the National Council on Disability by U.S. President Barack Obama

2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the American Association of People with Disabilities Congressional Internship Program supported by the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation. The program places college students with disabilities in internships in Congressional offices each summer so the students can gain practical career experience working on public policy issues. The program also helps raise awareness of the fact that when given the opportunity people with disabilities are able to be employed and contribute to society.

This signature program has seen alumni go on to graduate school, and work in a variety of settings in the governmental and private sectors. For example, one alumnus worked as a legislative correspondent for Senator Brownback, and another is executive director of a nonprofit organization and was recently appointed to the National Council on Disability by President Obama.

Founded in 1991, the Mitsubishi Electric Thai Foundation (METF) supports the education of tomorrow's engineers by providing scholarships to engineering students at Thai universities. METF also provides special grants to grade schools recommended by the Thai Ministry of Education, which the schools use to buy feed and fertilizer with which to grow crops and cultivate livestock. The resulting provisions are then used to provide nourishing lunches to needy school children.