DiSTI Raises $8600 In Support of STEM Education

ORLANDO, Fla. - Nov. 6, 2014 - PRLog -- The DiSTI Corporation, a leading provider of graphical user interface software and customized 3-D virtual maintenance training solutions, raised $8,600 in its 5th annual DiSTI Duffer Charity Golf Tournament. All funds raised benefit the Central Florida STEM Education Council (CFSEC), which strives to develop a unified Central Florida STEM program to include mass communication, mentorships, and resources for parents, students, and educators through on-line and event venues.

The 2014 funds came in the form of donations from 15 corporate sponsors and a field of 98 golfers. DiSTI covers all of the costs related to the tournament including promotions, greens fees, food, and refreshments allowing 100% of the donations to go to the CFSEC.

The funds raised by DiSTI will support Central Florida STEM-related camps and activities. Funds from the previous tournaments supported the US Army PEO STRI High School Engineering Internship Program and the YMCA Robotics Academy. The Engineering Internship program uses the funding to purchase Sea Perch underwater robotics kits while the YMCA uses the funds to aide underprivileged students attend the Robotics Academy. Through these programs, young people are exposed to exciting, hands-on, and mentor-based programs that foster science, engineering, and technology skills. DiSTI understands the need to foster these skills within the community, and will continue to support this cause going forward.

“As a technology company, we witness firsthand the difficulty in finding talented people to hire. Students graduating with degrees in software development will never go hungry,” said President and CEO Joe Swinski. “If we as a community do not take an active role in supporting our youth to enter technology based career paths, our nation will struggle as a whole. While raising money is important, raising awareness is even more critical. I would encourage more of our community to get involved.”

According to the US Department of Education, the United States is falling behind internationally; ranking 25th in mathematics and 17th in science among industrialized nations, and only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM career. The need for STEM education is at an all-time high. In Florida, business leaders indicate that nearly 9 out of 10 new jobs that become available over the next decade will be in STEM fields, according to Florida’s Rural STEM initiative.

To learn more about Central Florida STEM Education Council, visit www.myawesomefloridacareer.com

To learn more about the annual DiSTI Duffer, visit www.disti.com/duffer

About DiSTI

DiSTI is the global leader in the development of User Interface software for businesses, governments and the military. The company’s flagship product, GL Studio, enables programmers and developers to build high-fidelity graphics, 3D simulations and fully interactive controls into their models, enhancing the level of realism and sophistication, while improving learning and retention. GL Studio is constantly praised by users for its ease of use, cutting-edge features and unrivaled runtime performance. GL Studio has made its mark as the leading HMI development toolkit with support for C++, Java, embedded displays, and Apple’s iDevices.

More than 500 customers worldwide, including BAE, Boeing, Dassault, Jaguar Land Rover, Lockheed Martin, Honeywell, Raytheon and Thales, use DiSTI solutions to build virtual maintenance trainers, create PC and Internet-based courseware and to develop components for safety-critical applications. As a full service provider, DiSTI offers a complement of customer programming and development services, and is the recognized leader in training solutions for the global simulation and training community. For more information, visit www.disti.com.