Community

Report
Supporting the communities in which we live
and work is a core belief, important to both our
employees and clients.
At IBM, we aim to use our technology and
innovation to make a positive difference in all the
communities we touch, both as an organisation
and as individuals.
For those employees new to volunteering, the ODC
program provides a quick and easy means of working
out how they can best serve the IBM-supported
programs through our community engagement projects.
Depending on how much time our volunteers have to
give, the site offers solutions geared for those who wish
to volunteer once a week or once a year.

IBM’s approach to community support is to help people For seasoned volunteers, the ODC program also

use information technology to improve the quality of supports employees’ individual voluntary work by

life for themselves and others. Thus, our program of rewarding their volunteer time with corporate donations.

stakeholder consultation has led us to focus on areas When individuals or teams of IBM employees or retirees

where technology volunteer for a consecutive period

can make the of time, they can earn a cash or

biggest difference. technology grant for their chosen

In Australia, a charity through the ODC program.

consultative process
has shown these to In 2006, IBM Australia engaged 292
be: K-12 education, new employees and retirees in the
particularly in ODC, against a target of 100. More
disadvantaged than 2,000 people registered in 2006,
communities; supporting people with disabilities; and making up 35,927 hours of volunteer
addressing the digital divide. In 2006, our dedicated service to their communities, over three times our target
Corporate Community Relations Department continued of 10,000.
to work in partnership with not-for-profit organisations
in these areas, coordinating the donation of funds, Metrics since 2005 2006 Increase 2007
technology and employee time to support specific launch in 2003 (Target) (Target) Target
programs over the long-term. Total number of 1,646 2,053 292 2,403
IBM employees (1,746) (100)
Over the years, where this consultative process has and retirees
highlighted gaps in community resources, we have registered
also developed new technology programs and tools. In Total number of 84,816 120,376 35,560 150,376
2006, we continued to support, expand and develop hours of volunteer (94,816) (10,000)
these programs, as outlined below. Detailed information service
on all our programs can be found at: Total number 37 75 38 105
http://www.ibm.com/au/ibm/community of On Demand (52) (15)
Community Grants
Encouraging volunteerism
IBM’s On Demand Community (ODC) has been running
since late 2003, encouraging our current workforce and
retiree population to support their local communities.
The ODC program arms our employees with technology
solutions, strategies and tutorials they can access online
and share with the community organisations in which
they volunteer.


 Volunteers make JAM (Just a Minute) for Kids Promoting Learning
In 2006, IBM volunteers from the ODC gave their time
Reinventing Education
to JAM for Kids, an after school activities program
IBM’s Reinventing Education is a global program in
to improve the health, well-being and educational
which IBM develops partnerships with Ministries and
outcomes of disadvantaged primary school children in
Departments of Education to improve teaching practices
Maribyrnong, Victoria.
and educational outcomes throughout the world.
With funding from the Commonwealth Department of
In Australia, a Reinventing Education program was
Family and Community Services, the JAM program
launched in July 2001, involving 25 schools from
involves a partnership between IBM, four local primary
metropolitan and rural Victoria. Through this program,
schools1 and Maribyrnong City Council (MCC).
IBM helps teachers investigate and share ways to
Through JAM, IBM provides volunteers to run after
integrate information and communication technologies
school activities such as: art and craft, sports, martial
into teaching practices. IBM and the Victorian
arts, science and dancing. Complementing this, the
Department of Education (DoE) work together with
school provides their expertise and resources and the
schools to stimulate research, rethinking and renewal in
MCC provides JAM program staff to liaise with the
teaching practices to improve learning outcomes.
schools, train the IBM mentors and attend each JAM
session to provide duty of care for the students. In 2006, in partnership with the DoE, IBM Australia
released a CD-ROM “Guiding School Change” based on
By offering disadvantaged school students after
the learnings from the Victorian Reinventing Education
school activities they would not otherwise have
program. The CD-ROM provides a model for school
access to, JAM for Kids helps both re-connect
change, containing authentic snapshots of educator
disengaged students with the education system and
experiences, teaching and learning resources and
improve their health by engaging them in sporting
professional development materials.
activities. Their exposure to positive adult role models
has also improved their self esteem and confidence IBM KidSmart Early Learning Program
and helped them to develop a better attitude to Since 2001, the IBM KidSmart Early Learning
school and education – critical factors in improving Program has provided technology and training to
educational outcomes. enhance learning in Australian disadvantaged pre-
schools and child care centres. Over 615 centres
“IBM volunteers have made this after school program
have received KidSmart units consisting of colourful
possible. They have shown much commitment to the
Little Tikes furniture, a PC and educational software.
JAM program and to the children of the Maribyrnong
An independent evaluation of the KidSmart Program
region, giving them their time, and their expertise”.
in Australia has shown that children participating in
JAM for Kids Project Supervisor
the program have improved their sharing, listening
“…my daughter also enjoyed the involvement of the and cognitive skills.
volunteers – they are good role models.”
Consistent with the goals of early childhood education,
JAM for Kids Parent
KidSmart builds on the understanding that pre-school
children learn best through creative play and social
1 Dinjerra Primary School, Footscray West Primary School, Footscray
interaction. The system uses this premise to both
Primary School, Braybrook Primary School
improve learning skills and encourage children to
become confident technology users; an increasingly
important life skill.

In 2006, IBM donated 148 KidSmart units to pre-

schools, child care centres and schools across 6
Australian states and territories, an increase of 78
units year to year, from a base of 70 units in 2005.


 Each KidSmart centre also benefits from teacher IBM not only continues to support SWIRL with
training workshops that introduce teachers to the technology, but also works with Victoria University to
technology and explore ways of effectively integrating encourage student teachers involved to pursue careers
KidSmart into their teaching programs. In 2006 this in outback schools. Since the program has been
training was coordinated by Government Education operating, 40 SWIRL participants have returned to the
Departments in three States. In 2007, this practice NT to take up teaching positions – all of them staying
will extend to all States and Territories integrating the up to three times longer than non-SWIRLers.
KidSmart program into their education programs
and strategy. Metrics since 2005 2006 Increase 2007
launch in 1997 (Target) (Target) Target

Total number of 100 115 15 125

Metrics since 2005 2006 Increase 2007 PCs and laptops (115) (15)
launch in 2001 (Target) (Target) Target donated
Total number of 470 618 148 758 Total number of 13 18 5 *
units donated (610) (140) locations reached (18) (5)
Total number of 940 1,236 296 1,476 * In 2007, Victoria University and IBM Australia will revisit
teachers trained (1,150) (210) several of the remote communities to consolidate on the
excellent work which has been achieved to date, through the
SWIRL program.
SWIRL – Story Writing In Remote
Locations
IBM MentorPlace
In 1997, as an extension
IBM volunteers regularly mentor hundreds
of our relationship with
of primary and secondary school students
Victoria University, IBM
around Australia. Following a workplace visit,
Australia started a
students and their IBM mentors communicate
project called SWIRL
through IBM MentorPlace, a secure internet
(Story Writing In Remote
site that allows them to collaborate on a
Locations) in a remote,
range of projects and activities. At the end of
outback aboriginal
the program, which typically lasts for two or
community in Australia’s Northern Territory.
more school terms, the IBM mentors visit the
Through SWIRL, aboriginal students are improving students’ schools.
their literacy skills by composing stories about their
MentorPlace gives students a valuable insight into the
activities. These stories are then made into books and
business community and increases their confidence
used as school library resources. The program delivers
and enthusiasm for career options in technology. In
both immediate benefits to the students composing
2006, the MentorPlace program continued to expand,
the stories and long-term benefits to their communities,
supporting 150 students in QLD, VIC and NSW. In
by providing relevant literature to engage the interest
2007, we intend to extend the service to students into
of other children in the area. In every location, the
WA and the ACT as well.
students involved have improved their literacy, been
eager to learn and developed a renewed enthusiasm for
attending school. Metrics since 2005 2006 Increase 2007
launch in 2003 (Target) (Target) Target
In 2006, SWIRL was conducted in five remote Total number of 481 631 150 781
communities in the NT. IBM also donated five KidSmart IBM mentors (631) (150)
Units to community groups to be used in their early Total number 493 643 150 793
childhood learning programs. of students (668) (175)
mentored


 International Science School
Since 1989, IBM Australia has worked with the University
of Sydney’s Science Foundation for Physics to raise
the profile of science education. In 2005, an IBM senior
executive was the first female to be appointed president
of the Science Foundation for Physics at Sydney
University, a role that continued throughout 2006.
In 2007, IBM will support the Foundation’s biennial
International Science School (ISS) for gifted science
students in Year 11 and 12 from around the world.
Physics on the Road
Since 2002, the School of Physics at the University of
Sydney has run an outreach program called “KickStart
Physics”, which gives HSC physics students the
opportunity to use experimental equipment typically
unavailable in high school classrooms. In 2006, IBM
continued to fund “KickStart on the Road” – taking the
program outside Sydney to students in Wagga Wagga,
Dubbo and Armidale.
• Fiocruz Genome Comparison- developing better
drugs and vaccines and improved diagnostic
procedures
• Help Defeat Cancer- improving the treatment of
cancer
accessibilityWorks – helping to use the web
IBM helps seniors and people with disabilities to
access the internet more easily by donating our
accessibilityWorks technology to their support
organisations. AccessibilityWorks overcomes hurdles
such as low vision and poor typing skills by enabling
people to magnify everything on a Web page, change
the colour of the text and background, turn off
animation and sharpen images to greatly improve
readability. It also automatically adjusts the keyboard to
accommodate the typing styles of people with tremors,
arthritis or partial paralysis, by sampling their typing,
detecting the errors and automatically adjusting the
keyboard sensitivity.

Using technology to support Organisations using accessibilityWorks in 2006

the community Australia
Australian Seniors Computer Club Association
World Community Grid
Macquarie University
www.worldcommunitygrid.org
Technical Aid to the Disabled
The Spastic Centre
IBM and a group of leading foundations, public Novita Children’s Services
organisations and academic institutions have joined Murdoch University Guild for Students
together to form the World Community Grid to support
research that benefits humanity. Refurbished Technology Program
IBM donates refurbished, recycled equipment to
The grid uses the idle time of hundreds of thousands
strategic not-for-profit organisations. In 2006, every
of computers around the world to give researchers
month we donated refurbished laptops and desktops to
tremendous amounts of power, exceeding that of several
our partner community organisations, as well as other
supercomputers, to run complex computations. The
not-for-profit groups that support education, job training
grid accelerates the pace of research by performing
and technology accessibility.
computations that would take years on a PC in days or
even hours.

To become part of the grid, volunteers simply download Metrics 2005 2006 Increase 2007
(Target) (Target) Target
and install a no-charge, small software program on their
Total number of 253 415 162 515
computers.
PCs donated (353) (100)
In 2006, supported by 9,500 computers, the grid Total number of 61 102 41 122
powered three new research projects: organisations (86) (25)
benefiting
• Help Cure Muscular Dystrophy- leading to better
treatments for muscular dystrophy


 2006 Objectives
√ Strive for maximum impact by IBM employee and retiree volunteers and report these volunteer success stories to
IBM employees to foster additional interest

√ Reward long term volunteer engagements by IBM retirees and employees by making 25 funds or technology
equipment grants to community groups where IBM volunteers have contributed significantly

√ Donate 140 KidSmart Units to childcare centres

√ Provide 150 IBM online mentors to school students as part of IBM’s MentorPlace program

√ Release the IBM Reinventing Education CD-ROM

√ Donate four cultural kiosks to museums

√ Donate three TryScience kiosks to museums and science centres

√ Expand the impact and number of users of the World Community Grid by partnering with four organisations

√ Provide Web Adaptation Technology grants to four not for profit organisations

2007 Objectives
In 2007, IBM’s On Demand Community will strive to maximise the impact IBM employees and retiree volunteers
have on the community groups they assist. We will also work to increase volunteer opportunities with both our own
programs, including KidSmart, MentorPlace, TryScience, EX.I.T.E Camps and Reinventing Education, and our not for
profit partners.

• Strive for maximum impact by IBM employee and retiree volunteers and report these volunteer success stories to
IBM employees to foster additional interest
• Reward long term volunteer engagements by IBM retirees and employees by making 30 funds or technology
equipment grants to community groups where IBM volunteers have contributed significantly
• Donate 140 KidSmart Units to childcare centres, kindergartens and schools
• Provide 150 IBM online mentors to school students as part of IBM’s MentorPlace program
• Donate one cultural kiosk to a museum
• Donate one TryScience kiosk to a museum or science centre
• Expand the impact and number of users of the World Community Grid
• Provide Web Adaptation Technology grants to four not for profit organisations
• Donate a minimum 100 refurbished PCs and ThinkPads to community organisations who fit our community
giving strategy


 Other organisations supported by IBM

Organisation Uniting Care – Cutting Edge

AID / WATCH Uniting Care – Sunshine Mission
Arthacharya Foundation University of Melbourne
Australian Doctors International Vantage Community Svcs
Avenel Neighbour House Victoria University
Cape York Partnerships WCIG
Career Keys Williamstown CFS
Centre for Developmental Disability Woodville Community Svcs
Child & Family Services World Vision Australia
Department of Education & Training World Youth International
Down Syndrome Assoc. of Vic YAAMA Media Aboriginal Corp.
Essere (To Be) Yarnteen
Girudala Community Co-operative Soc. Young Leaders Enhancement
Greenhills Child Care Centre
Holland Foundation
Hopewell Hospice
Indigenous Australian Engineering Summer School
International Women’s Development Agency
JDRF
KU Children’s Services
Leukaemia Foundation
Marist Youth Care
Murdoch University
OLQP Gladesville OSCH
Oxfam Australia
Paraplegic Benefit Fund
Questacon
Radio Lollipop Australia
Red Cross – Robina
Ronald McDonald House Charities
Rotary Club of Mt Gravatt
Sandbag
Shoalhaven Heads
Stewart House
Sydney U3A
Tabitha
TAD
The Epic Telecentre
The Salvation Army
The Smith Family
The Science Foundation for Physics
The Toogoolawa Schools
Unicef
UNIFEM

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