On July 7th at the annual American Business Awards competition, Hughes was named winner of the prestigious Gold “Stevie®” Award in 2015 for Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year. A panel of 200 executives selected Hughes as the gold winner among companies with up to 2,500 employees for its partnership with the National 4-H Council to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education and careers to youth across the U.S. through a series of events and competitions.

The Hughes/4-H partnership began in 2014, aimed at introducing more American youth to hands-on, communitybased STEM learning. Together, they have conducted several national programs to spark interest in STEM, including the National Youth Science Day (NYSD), the world’s largest youth-led science experiment.

“The most gratifying aspect of winning this award is that it recognizes the importance of promoting STEM education and careers among today’s youth,” said Mike Cook, senior vice president at Hughes. “STEM proficiency goes right to the heart of the country’s economic future.”

“We are proud of the 4-H partnership with Hughes and excited about the impact of our STEM programs on America’s future innovators and leaders,” said Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO, National 4-H Council.

The American Business Awards are nicknamed the “Stevies” for the Greek word meaning “crowned.” This year’s competition attracted more than 3,300 nominations across all categories.