When Michelle Abel thinks about the impact General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) has had on the nonprofit she directs, the Little Bit Foundation, her thoughts go to a young woman from Riverview Gardens’ Central Middle School who recently participated in the GDIT-sponsored STEM Lingo program.
“We had an opportunity to partner with GDIT on a weeklong push in a STEM program called STEM Lingo where we brought in STEM project kits for teachers and students to the schools we serve,” Abel says. “There was one girl who participated in the program who said that at the beginning of the week, she didn’t think she could do it, but when she finished, she felt like she could do anything. The program is really an opportunity to expose kids to new ideas and options and inspire them to think, ‘This could be me.’ ”
For Abel, and the numerous other nonprofit leaders GDIT has partnered with over the course of its many years in St. Louis, the most striking thing about the relationships is that they go well beyond mere financial support. Intentionally designed, managed and funded by the company, GDIT has positioned itself as a part of the St. Louis community, and sees itself as having a responsibility in helping to find solutions to the issues these nonprofits address.
As the technology business unit of General Dynamics, the Fortune 100 global aerospace and defense company, GDIT, supports and secures some of the most complex government, defense and intelligence projects. For decades, the company has had a presence in St. Louis as a partner with the geospatial community. Now, with St. Louis positioned to become a global hub of geospatial technology, GDIT has committed to grow its footprint in the St. Louis region in a way that will have lasting impact, not simply on the geospatial sector, but on the St. Louis area innovation community as a whole.
Part of this commitment involves GDIT’s new home in the Cortex Innovation Community, which the company officially opened on December 13th. In choosing Cortex as its St. Louis headquarters, GDIT will be in the heart of the city’s innovation center, making it easier to collaborate with IT providers and partners. Central to its mission is GDIT’s Deep Sky Innovation Lab, which will give its customers an environment to support a variety of needs, ranging from artificial intelligence and machine learning to the latest advances in cloud technology.
However, GDIT sees its role in Cortex – as well as the greater St. Louis region – as a facilitator of and catalyst for innovation as much as a benefactor of what the community has to offer. In choosing to be engaged at Cortex, as well as downtown’s T-REX Geospatial Innovation Center, GDIT is using its position in the field to contribute to the growth of the St. Louis geospatial innovation community and develop a diverse talent pipeline that aligns with the geospatial community’s national security mission as well and the region’s inclusive growth objectives.
GDIT understands that, when it comes to developing a diverse technology workforce for tomorrow, it must empower people early on in their lives. By immersing itself in the community and investing in partnerships that are creating educational and career opportunities for groups of people who have been underrepresented in technology and geospatial industries – particularly St. Louis’ Black residents – GDIT is providing young Black students and aspiring tech professionals with the education, skills, training and opportunities to succeed.
The Little Bit Foundation is just one of the partnerships GDIT has committed to since expanding its footprint in St. Louis. Its recently signed partnership with Zekita Armstrong-Asuquo and Gateway Global American Youth and Business Alliance Academies, Inc., GDIT is providing resources to support the organization’s work to train and credential high school students in geospatial intelligence, as well as geospatial skills, training and mentorship opportunities to help young adults transition to jobs with higher pay.
With both LaunchCode and Rung for Women, GDIT is helping to provide free tech education, targeted curriculum, internships and job placement opportunities to bring new people from all backgrounds into the geospatial tech field, giving program participants the chance to acquire very marketable skills and transition to higher paying jobs. It’s work with Harris Stowe State University’s new GEOHornet Lab at T-REX will help provide a launching pad for geoscience students. These partnerships, together with future ones, are central to GDIT’s mission to create a diverse and equitable geospatial and technology workforce in St. Louis.
GDIT understands that being a part of St. Louis’ geospatial community means more than proximity to NGA and the related industry partners it is bringing together to meet the country’s security needs. It is about recognizing that Black and Brown innovators and entrepreneurs have been historically underrepresented in geospatial and other technology fields and committing to creating a community – through listening, action and investment both financially and otherwise – where all are able to succeed.
We’re investing in people through internship opportunities, mentorship and education,” says Deb Davis, GDIT’s VP & GM, Mission Solutions Sector. “Building this pipeline and growing in St. Louis really aligns with GDIT’s commitment to education training and development of the future technology workforce.”
To learn more about how GDIT is “Building the Art of the Possible” in St. Louis, visit www.gdit.com/stl/.
General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; and technology products and services. General Dynamics employs more than 100,000 people worldwide and generated $37.9 billion in revenue in 2020. More information about General Dynamics Information Technology is available at www.gdit.com. More information about General Dynamics is available at www.gd.com.
