October 4, 2021
Major DFW Employer Continues to Invest in North Texas Communities with a Hamilton-Themed Educational Program
PLANO, Texas – Oct. 4, 2021 – Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo and a leading food manufacturer, today announced a powerhouse collaboration with the T.D. Jakes Foundation, Dallas Summer Musicals, Dallas Independent School District (DISD), iD Tech, and the upcoming Dallas engagement of Hamilton to design a one-of-a-kind, customized, and scalable STEAM experience for DISD students and teachers. The partnership will reach 3,200 students and 200 teachers within DISD, with the program featuring aspects of social justice and a STEAM-based curriculum in a unique eight-week program themed to Hamilton, the award-winning musical.
“The jobs of tomorrow are dependent on the supply of highly trained and capable STEAM talent,” said Steven Williams, CEO, PepsiCo Foods North America. “At Frito-Lay, we fully support STEAM careers, education and training and food access, continuing our focus on supporting the communities in which we live and work, especially in North Texas.”
With 93 percent of Americans believing that the arts are vital to a well-rounded education1, this exclusive collaboration is working to close the gap within STEAM and underserved communities. The STEAM curriculum helps social-emotional learners develop and apply skills to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve goals, maintain positive relationships, increase problem-solving abilities while teaching critical thinking, fostering resilience and grit, and encouraging innovation and creativity.
In addition to the eight-week program, students and educators will receive tickets to attend the award-winning play, Hamilton, on their first national performance since COVID-19.
“We want to thank Frito-Lay for their incredible generosity,” said Chairman T.D. Jakes. “With this program, we have an opportunity to expose students in underserved communities to the skills, tools and careers of the future. By pairing STEM lessons with this powerhouse production, we have an opportunity to truly excite young people and allow them to see themselves reflected in the work. We want to offer our deepest gratitude to all involved in this collaboration.”
To learn more about how Frito-Lay supports local communities in North Texas and across the United States, please visit the Frito-Lay In the Community website.
1 National Girls Collaborative Project, American Affairs, Georgetown University, Biocom.org, ed.gov
About Frito-Lay North America
Frito-Lay North America is the $18 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, N.Y. Frito-Lay snacks include Lay’s and Ruffles potato chips, Doritos tortilla chips, Cheetos snacks, Tostitos tortilla chips and branded dips, SunChips multigrain snacks and Fritos corn chips. The company operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada, more than 200 distribution centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, http:www.fritolay.com/, on Twitter fritolay, on Instagram @fritolay and on Facebook Frito-Lay.
