About
28 September 2010
The OSA Foundation Launches New Website
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Lyndsay Meyer
The Optical Society
+1.202.416.1435
lmeyer@osa.org
The OSA Foundation Launches New Website
WASHINGTON, September 28 – The OSA Foundation (OSAF) today announced the launch of a newly designed and enhanced website. OSA-Foundation.org is the Foundation’s online resource for philanthropic programs created on behalf of the Optical Society (OSA). The OSAF is a charitable organization dedicated to carrying out programs that further the study of science. Since its establishment in 2002, the Foundation has funded more than 300 programs that have benefited thousands of students and educators around the world, and conferred more than 700 awards, prizes and recognitions.
The new website features expanded content and resources to provide donors, volunteers, potential grantees and the general public with access to information about current and recently accomplished programs. Highlights include quick links to current news and award updates, guidelines about grant and application procedures, and information about successful programs taking place all over the world.
To provide visitors with a multimedia experience, the OSAF has also launched a presence on Facebook and established a YouTube channel, which features a video of a 2010 “Galileoscope” outreach program. The Galileoscope Challenge, is an initiative that provides high-quality “build your own” telescope kits to students and teachers around the world.
“When redesigning our website, the goal was to create a dynamic, content-rich resource to encourage interest in our programs and involvement with our organization,” said Meredith Smith, director of the OSA Foundation. “We are pleased to unveil all of the new features and enhancements and look forward to providing quality education resources to the science innovators of tomorrow.”
The interactive features of the site include an online donation form that enables donors to direct their gifts to specific campaigns and a Grant Requester Quiz that helps funding applicants to determine if their requests align with the Foundation’s criteria and focus areas.
About the OSA Foundation
The OSA Foundation (OSAF) was established in 2002 to support philanthropic activities that help further the Optical Society's (OSA) mission by concentrating its efforts on programs that advance youth science education, provide optics and photonics education to underserved populations, provide career and professional development resources and support awards & honors that recognize technical and business excellence. The grants funded by the OSA Foundation are made possible by the generous donations of its supporters as well as the dollar-for-dollar match by OSA. The Foundation is exempt from U.S. federal income taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is a public charity. To learn more about the OSA Foundation, please visit www.osa-foundation.org.
About OSA
Uniting more than 106,000 professionals from 134 countries, the Optical Society (OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit www.osa.org.
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