IBM Volunteer Stories

Inspiring accounts of IBMers’ dedication and accomplishments are described in these stories of service.

IBM Volunteer Excellence Award stories

The IBM Volunteer Excellence Award is the highest form of global recognition given to IBM volunteers. Each year, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna honors selected IBM teams and individuals from around the world for their volunteer service. The award-winning volunteers are an inspiration and their stories can serve as models of success for other volunteers to follow.

IBM volunteer spearheads STEM education program to empower young women and address gender gap in cybersecurity

IBM volunteer Heather Ricciuto receives recognition for her work with CyberDay4Girls, a program that aims to bring more women to the field of cybersecurity.

IBM volunteers partner with Argentine Astronomy Association to support STEM education during solar eclipse

IBM volunteers in Argentina worked with multiple astronomy associations to promote STEM education during the solar eclipse of December 2020.

IBM volunteers join SUNY initiative to provide much-needed PPE to healthcare workers in New York

IBM volunteers across 4 different states collaborated with SUNY New Paltz to manufacture thousands of additional face shields for healthcare workers in New York during the pandemic.

AI Enlightenment Season returns and benefits more students—IBM volunteers win awards

In China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, one of IBM's largest continuous volunteer-led initiatives earned its second IBM Volunteer Excellence Award and was voted a top volunteer project for the year by IBMers.

Project for visually impaired in India voted a top volunteer initiative by IBMers

Lending their voices for a cause, an IBM volunteer team in India created audiobooks for visually-challenged learners and was voted a top project for 2020.

IBMers choose NERDs in Italy for additional grant award

Project NERD in Italy was choosen by IBMers as one of their favorite volunteer projects for 2020 winning the IBM Volunteers' Choice Award.

Being essential: 2020 IBM Volunteer Excellence Award winners

The 2020 IBM Volunteer Excellence Award is awarded to 15 IBM teams and individuals around the world, honoring their community impact. NGO and school partners will receive a USD 10,000 grant as part of the award.

IBM volunteers in India use AI to help NGO accelerate aid for victims of trafficking

Watch the video. Volunteers from IBM Research in India are helping an NGO use AI to identify counselors suited to support those recovering from the trauma of human trafficking. The volunteers received the IBM Volunteer Excellence Award.

IBM volunteer in Vietnam helps create a much-needed ecosystem to train students in AI

Watch the video. In Vietnam, IBM volunteer Le Nhan Tam is helping address a critical shortage of skilled IT professionals by leading an initiative to train students in AI. He received the IBM Volunteer Excellence Award.

In Israel, IBM volunteer Fady Copty mentors young people in a collaboration across cultures

Watch the video. As a mentor and volunteer in Israel, Fady Copty is helping students—particularly those with Arab backgrounds—gain experience with the high tech industry. He received the IBM Volunteer Excellence Award.

IBM volunteers in India earn excellence award for initiative to mentor children with learning disabilities

Watch the video. An IBM volunteer team in India uses storytelling, presentations, real-life examples, IBM Activity kits and more to mentor children with disabilities. The IBM team received the IBM Volunteer Excellence Award.

Tiny acts can make a big impact: a volunteer story by Sarena Meyer

Sarena Meyer has been a voluneer for decades and received the 2019 IBM Volunteer Excellence Award. She helped create a STEM camp for girls that has endured and grown over the years. In this story, Sarena recalls a young girl from 2005 who continues to inspire her today.

Sharing AI with children in China earns award for the IBM volunteer organizers

IBM volunteer coordinators in China organized over 1,300 other IBM volunteers across the country to help children better understand AI. Thousands of students and teachers participated in the IBM AI Enlightment Season, and the coordinators received the IBM Volunteer Excellence Award.

Volunteer Stories

Learn more about what IBM employees and retirees are doing in their communities around the world.

On Earth Day, powerful analytics run by IBM volunteers improve the odds for wildlife in Australia

IBM volunteers came together to help a conservation society use IBM technology to quickly and easily access weather data to augment and improve their conservation research.

IBM volunteers turn up the heat in freezing Texas community

In February, the worst winter weather in decades caused dangerous conditions for many parts of Texas. A team of IBM volunteers created a vital asset to connect people looking for and giving aid—and the IBMers only had a few hours to do it.

Artificially natural: revitalizing a waterway in Florida with human-made reefs

IBM volunteer and retiree Jean Cannon, along with her colleagues and neighbors in Siesta Key, Florida, are using artificial reefs to help restore and revitalize the aquatic ecosystem surrounding their community.

Volunteer perspectives: An MLK Day event with Boys & Girls Clubs of Dallas

Fang Wang has been a volunteer for nearly a decade—helping kids appreciate STEM through robotics. For Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this year, she coordinated a team of IBM volunteers to mentor students during an hour of code.

IBM volunteers across Spain take on sustainable mobility

For one month last year, 60 IBM volunteers from across IBM Spain used sustainable transportation and registered all of the trips they took by bike, walking, running and electric scooters using a simple mobile app.

One day to celebrate volunteers and a lifetime of thanks

In a series of short videos, IBM volunteers from around the world share their passion for helping others as a way to celebrate all volunteers for International Volunteer Day.

IBM volunteers in Italy share some of their projects to celebrate International Volunteer Day

In a short video to celebrate the upcoming International Volunteer Day, 12 IBM volunteers in Italy talk about their projects as a way to acknowledge the impact being made by volunteers everywhere.

What is your volunteer story?

We truly appreciate hearing of the many ways that volunteers contribute their time and resources to help others. More importantly, we are proud of the role IBMers play in helping their communities, worldwide!

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