Virgin Atlantic was looking for a long-term partnership to further its commitment to supporting education, with a focus on STEM skills in underprivileged communities
With Virgin Atlantic, a long-term partnership was established through several co-created and implemented programs that delivered training for educators and students in the UK, supported service-learning initiatives and helped raise funds for global development programming overseas.
For example, the Passport to Change program focused on increasing transferable STEM skills like problem-solving, argumentation, critical thinking, creativity, action-planning and leadership.
Under the program, Virgin Atlantic employees from its engineering, pilot, cabin crew, finance, IT, HR, cargo and airport teams visited schools to share their experiences, using educational resources created by WE. The program was designed to inspire students, particularly girls who were underrepresented in many parts of the aviation industry, to pursue STEM and aviation careers.
As long-time supporters of education programs in the UK, Virgin Atlantic helped bring WE Day to the UK seven times to honor the children who earned their way into the events by volunteering their time during the school year for service projects and initiatives.
Dr. Holly Branson wrote about the 2020 event saying, “I’m so proud of the almost 100,000 young people, who have travelled the road to Wembley, in the last seven years… (the event) gives us all a chance to celebrate all these amazing young superheroes: for their citizenship, belief in the power of change and their passion that, in the future, they will eradicate some of the most pressing issues facing our planet.”
Holly and her father, Sir Richard Branson, helped motivate students through multiple appearances at the Wembley student-focused events, along with visits to schools and infrastructure projects in Kenya funded through the partnership.
