About The Marta Foundation

The germ of the idea for a non-profit foundation with the purpose of inspiring young people to pursue technical careers was sprouted in the days immediately following Marta Bohn-Meyer's untimely passing in September 2005. Marta had made it one of her missions in life to find opportunities everywhere to talk to kids, teachers and parents about how exciting and fun the world of science, engineering, and technology is. She would encourage those kids who might not otherwise have the needed mentorship not only to dream about careers in technical fields, but to pursue those dreams. Marta once wrote,

"When opportunity knocks, it is not enough to just open the door.  It is your responsibility to take the first step through."

As modern life becomes more complex and dependent on scientific and technological advances, there is an increasing need for scientists, engineers and technicians. In addition, the general adult population needs to become more technically literate. Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, speaks of the "quiet crisis" in America which "stems from the gap between the nation's growing need for scientists, engineers, and other technically skilled workers, and its production of them." The Marta Foundation was formed to address this crisis by encouraging young people to intensify and excel in their studies of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and by supporting and assisting promising young candidates in obtaining the formal training and education they need in order to succeed in technical professions. Toward this end, the Marta Foundation is pledged to the following activities.

• First, to provide scholarships to students to help them pay for formal technical schooling of all kinds, including but not limited to two- and four-year colleges and universities, technical institutes, trade schools and apprenticeship programs. This activity will begin as soon as sufficient financial support is received from donors.
• Second, to offer grants to public charity organizations and schools for the development and/or administration of educational materials or programs designed to inspire, encourage and assist young people in the pursuit of technical studies and technical career fields.
• Third, to search out and identify appropriate adult technical-professional role models from a wide range of professions and organize visits by these role models to youth-oriented venues, at no charge to the hosting organization, for the purpose of providing inspiring, real-life examples of adults with whom the young people can identify who have achieved fulfillment and success in their chosen technical fields.
• And, finally, to develop and publish educational and inspirational materials for dissemination, at no charge, to young people via various channels, including but not limited to elementary and secondary schools; youth, parent, and family oriented organizations, clubs and events; and via the Marta Foundation Website.

There is much work to do and we hope that you will choose to be a part of it. To make a tax-deductible financial contribution, please fill out our on-line pledge form. If you would like to volunteer to serve on our scholarship or grant committees, we would love to hear from you via our messaging page.