Barack Obama Speaks to High Schoolers in Michigan

President Obama spoke about the importance of personal responsibility and giving back to the community as he delivered the commencement address at Kalamazoo Central High School in Kalamazoo, MI. The school was the winner of the 2010 Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge.



How cool would it be for BDPA to be engaged with high schools in their area that compete for the Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge next year?

2010 BDPA Technology Conference Honorary Co-Chairs

National BDPA announced Marc Di Francisco (president and CEO, Premier Event Management), Michael Heim (CIO, Eli Lilly and Company) and Garth Marcial (vice president of DePuy and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics) as Honorary Chairs for the 2010 National BDPA Technology Conference. These honorary chairs take a leadership role in promoting the conference and provide resources to assist with the execution of a successful conference.

“BDPA is excited to recognize this year’s honorary chairs for the 2010 National Conference”, said National BDPA President, Yvette Graham. The theme, "Access for All", is both timely and appropriate given President Obama's challenge to all Americans: "We need to invest in the skill and education of our people." BDPA is a catalyst for professional growth and technical development.

All three conference co-chairs shared their insights on BDPA and the upcoming national conference:

"Through the CIO Forum’s regional conferences, we work to bring together the local BDPA chapters and CIO’s from the area to network socially and professionally," said honorary co-chair Marc Di Francisco. "We strive to enhance membership for the BDPA by promoting it and we also allow BDPA members to attend our Forums complimentary."

"Lilly's corporate vision is to improve health outcomes for individual patients. As patient populations across disease states are very diverse, a focus on diversity is simply good business”, said conference co-chair Michael Heim. "Our partnership with BDPA has been very beneficial for employee growth and development through opportunities provided at both local and national levels. The professional workshops, leadership development, and access to community outreach activities all expand our employee's breadth. Importantly, BDPA provides direct exposure to African Americans in technology leadership roles across industry -- this type of role modeling and mentoring is invaluable."

"The annual BDPA Conference serves as an integral opportunity for Johnson & Johnson to recruit high-potential candidates into our family of companies," said conference co-chair Garth Marcial. "The conference networking events allow us to network and collaborate with sponsor companies across the nation to continue to improve the bright and vibrant future of the BDPA organization. Johnson & Johnson partners with local BDPA chapters throughout the year, hosting various events, forums, and information sessions to demonstrate our dedication to the advancement of BDPA and its members."

The 32nd annual National BDPA Technology Conference to be held in Philadelphia, PA on July 28-31, at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Hotel, provides a total information technology experience for high school and college students, information technology professionals, entrepreneurs, IT senior managers, corporations, academia, government agencies and the research community. The value-packed slate of offerings given by field experts exemplifies the BDPA commitment to provide state of the art training, professional growth and technical development, entrepreneurial opportunity, technical resource offerings, and access to leading edge technology to its members, corporate supporters, and the community.

Developing Elementary and Middle School Leaders in Urban Districts to Improve Teaching and Learning of Science

For elementary and middle school educators working in urban settings, the 2010 Urban Science Education Leadership Academy provides an outstanding opportunity to tackle reform of science teaching and learning at a getaway in New Orleans.

Scheduled for Aug. 2–5 in an exciting city with unmatched charm and wonderful cuisine, this academy helps build the foundation skills that support real leadership through collaboration, the change processes, use of research, and the study of relevant data. Dr. Adriane Dorrington, a noted professional development expert, will facilitate. The featured speaker is astronaut Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr. Scholarships are now available.

Registration is required by June 30. Invited: Teams (five-person team required) composed of one district science coordinator, one building administrator-principal/assistant principal, and three teachers.

For more information, visit the USEL Academy web pages.

AirTran Airways

AirTran Airways is committed to the communities they serve and is pleased to contribute to worthy causes and fundraising events in those communities.

Please note that they accept charitable donation requests through their website only. They no longer accept mailed or faxed charitable donation requests. The standard donation for organizations meeting the below guidelines is one set of 2 coach tickets.

In order to be eligible for a charitable donation, your organization must meet the following requirements:

• Provide a 501c3 tax identification number
• Submit your request at least 6 weeks prior to the event
• Not be affiliated with any political group or controversial cause
• Provide a physical mailing address for certificates to be mailed if approved
• Have not received AirTran Airways ticket certificates for a previous fundraising event within the past year

Please use their Charitable Donation Application to submit your proposal. Please do not call AirTran Airways regarding the status of your request. They receive a tremendous number of requests and will process your application as soon as they can prior to the event date.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is willing to submit an online application as fiscal agent for your BDPA chapter. Our preference is that these tickets be used for a SITES-related program. We will also limit our efforts to chapters that have (a) provided us with their current SITES budget and (b) provided us with a chapter president profile for publication on our award-winning blog.

First-come; first-served. What say u?

This Week in BDPA (June 6-12)

BDPA has 45 chapters around the nation. You can always find programs, services or networking activity here or here. BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry. Our hope is that you will continue to support Our Cause!

Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar :

• Jun 8: Boston - Program Meeting, 'Service Delivery Management: Delivering Value to the Business'
• Jun 9: New York - Networking, 'Meet & Greet'
• Jun 10: Northern Delaware - Program Meeting, 'Innovative Approaches to Professional Leadership and Management'
• Jun 10: Charlotte - Program Meeting, 'Effective Job Interviewing Techniques'
• Jun 11: New York - Seminars, '12 Hours of Technology'

We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events! Please let us know of other BDPA events that we may have missed. Most importantly, let us know if you plan to attend any BDPA events this week.

Facebook and Nonprofits: The Evolution Continues

Facebook isn’t the kind of company to stand still – and sometimes its changes (especially to privacy settings and navigation) can drive its power users crazy. That includes nonprofits, which have raced to embrace the “go where the crowd is” ethos of 500,000 million Facebook users. The latest changes are a case in point: the company is moving forcefully to impose its vision for a “social graph” to the rest of the web, encouraging sites to adopt its own tools to link users in an ever-widening network of personal choice. Hence, the suddenly ubiquitous “Like” button – including this site – and a quick move away from the “fans” and “pages” paradigm Facebook did such a great job of establishing. So, if you’ve put hundreds of hours into winning fans for your cause’s Facebook page, you might just sigh with digital frustration.

Read the rest of this onPhilanthropy story here.

Faye McBeath Foundation

The Faye McBeath Foundation is a private, independent foundation providing grants to tax-exempt nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in the metropolitan Milwaukee area. Its major areas of interest are: children, aging and elders, health, health education, civic and governmental affairs.

These areas were established by Faye McBeath and do not change. However, specific grant-making interests within each of these major categories change periodically. The Faye McBeath Foundation was established in 1964, shortly before the death of Faye McBeath in 1967 and they have been providing organizations with support for over 40 years.

The Application Process has six basic steps:

1. Submittal of a letter of intent
2. Communication with and from Foundation staff
3. Formal invitation to submit a full proposal
4. Submittal and review of a full proposal
5. Notification of the Trustees' decision
6. Submittal of a Letter of Intent

1020 N. Broadway, Suite 112
Milwaukee, WI 53202-3157

Contact: Scott Gelzer, Executive Director
Tel: (414) 272-2626
Fax: (414) 272-6235
Email: info@fayemcbeath.org

Prepare a 1-2 page letter of intent that includes a brief description of the applicant organization, the program to be funded, the corresponding match between the Foundation's guidelines and the request, the amount requested and the estimated total project budget. Include the name and address of the organization, and the name, phone number and e-mail address of a contact person. There are no deadlines for letters of intent. Letters will be considered as they are received; timing of actual response and any scheduling of a full proposal may vary.

Upon receipt of a letter of intent, Foundation staff will formally respond by e-mail or letter. Staff may contact you to discuss the project and in some cases, may schedule a site visit. If the request is outside the current program, geographical, or funding interests of the Foundation, a letter will be promptly sent informing you of this determination.

Generally, applicants can expect a response to a letter of intent within 60 days of a letter's receipt. The final response will either be a decline of the letter or a formal invitation to submit a full proposal.

Good luck to any of our Milwaukee-based readers that might benefit from this information!

Message from Philadelphia Chapter President

As May draws to a close, I am grateful for our sponsors and members that continue to support the BDPA mission. I challenge you all to get involved and volunteer your time. Giving back feels good and right. It also is a key ingredient for your personal and professional growth.

If you attended our last program meeting then you heard my membership recruitment challenge. I ask that each member recruit at least one new member by August 31 2010. Encourage people you know to join the BDPA Philadelphia family.

Please accept my invitation to join us in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection by registering for the 32nd Annual National BDPA Conference, July 28-31, 2010 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Philadelphia, PA.

This year's conference will feature 4 executive panels and over 50 high impact workshops for the technical and business professional as well as entrepreneurial workshops, informative college events, and exceptional plenary sessions.

This year's conference will also feature the 25th High School Computer Competition and the IT Showcase!

If you have been too busy to keep up with the latest trends in our industry, we have lined up workshops led by industry-leaders from JPMorgan Chase, Vanguard, DeVry University, Allstate, Quest Diagnostics, Eli Lilly and more.
Reserve your room today by contacting the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown at 1-800-266-9432 and ask for the BDPA (Black Data Processing Associates) rate or register online. Reserve your room before June 14, 2010 to receive the exceptional Deluxe Room rate of $159.00.

Hayward West, President
BDPA Philadelphia Chapter

Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Membership, Jun 2010)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) made an offer last month to provide funding for 100 student memberships ($2,500 value) if one of the national officers reaches out to us via this blog post!   Nobody closed the deal with us as of the writing of this post.

Membership is the lifeblood of any organization.  BDPA Chicago (president, Pamela Sexton) understands that nothing is more important than recruiting and retaining its membership.  As a result the chapter has been #1 in membership for the 38th month in a row.

BDPA Philadelphia (president, Hayward West) climbed up to the #2 chapter in membership for the first time since July 2009.

BDPA Los Angeles (president, John Malonson) is now the 6th largest chapter in terms of membership.  This is the highest ranking for that chapter in its 28-year history. Congrats to BDPA Los Angeles chapter VP-Membership Management Rodd Amos and his team for working so hard to acheive this milestone!

Perhaps its time for Pamela, Hayward or John to share some of their thoughts on membership growth.  If they are reading this post ... please consider sharing some of your insights with us.  OK?

The 45 BDPA chapters in BDPA-nation average 32 members (same as last month). 

We welcome BDPA Cincinnati (president, Wanda Gray) back into the Top Ten. Leave a comment if your chapter isn't listed below. We're happy to tell you where your BDPA chapter is ranked if you want.

The top ten chapters in terms of membership as of 6/1/2010 are:

1. Chicago
2. Philadelphia - (jumped one place since last month)
3. Triangle - (dropped one place since last month)
4. New York - (jumped one place since last month)
5. Atlanta - (dropped one place since last month)
6. Los Angeles - (jumped one place since last month, highest ranking ever!)
7. Southern Minnesota - (dropped one place since last month)
8. Dallas
9. New Jersey - (jumped one place since last month)
10. Cincinnati - (jumped two places since last month)

Only one chapter on this list is in the BDPA Century Club with at least 100 members. BDPA Chicago chapter tops the list with 224 members!

Feel free to ask about the ranking of your chapter. In the meantime, we would love to know what you think about membership in BDPA?

Crossover Foundation

The Crossover Foundation helps children and youth reach for the stars. Youth who are struggling with life's greatest challenges are among those who most deserve to feel like a star. By partnering with organizations that provide enrichment services to our youth, the Crossover Foundation strives to do just that.

The Crossover Foundation is a nonprofit organization that develops the dreams of youth by exposing them to pathways of success with College Tours, summer enrichment programs, and the Allen Iverson Student Athlete Scholarship Fund.

The Crossover Foundation, Inc. established in 2000, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded by Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers, and Gary Moore, his personal manager, because of Mr. Iverson's desire to give back and stay involved with children and the community. Originally named The Allen Iverson Celebrity Summer Classic Foundation (AICSCF), the Foundation changed its name to The Crossover Foundation, Inc. in November 2002.

The mission of the Crossover Foundation is to improve and address the health, educational and social needs of underprivileged children residing in the inner cities.

Today, Americans are more connected to digital tools with regards to access to computers, education about information technology, and the Internet. Census data confirms the reality that underserved minority communities because of socio-economic factors, disproportionately fall behind other communities with regard to access to this information. Examined closer, it is a very complex program that threatens the ability of underserved communities to be able to produce individuals that will be able to compete in the market of today's growing digital economy. In a society that increasingly relies on computers and the Internet to deliver information and enhance communication, it is imperative that all Americans have access.

The Crossover Foundation is dedicated to helping low-income children who are at risk of being left behind and of not being qualified for jobs as other educated or higher income groups. By partnering with organizations that have a strong sense of responsibility, the Crossover Foundation provides grants for establishment and upgrades of technology centers within these underserved communities.

Does your chapter seek to establish or upgrade its technology center? If so, this might be a funding source worth pursuing. What say u?

David & Lucille Packard Foundation

David and Lucile Packard believed America to be the home of a unique type of organization dependent upon private funding and volunteer leadership. Together, universities, national institutions, community groups, youth agencies, family planning centers, and hospitals constitute a great American tradition that complements government efforts to focus on society's needs.

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation was created in 1964 by David Packard (1912–1996), the co-founder of the Hewlett-Packard Company, and Lucile Salter Packard (1914–1987). Throughout their lives in business and philanthropy, the Packards sought to use private funds for the public good, giving back to a society which enabled them to prosper.

Guided by the business philosophy and values of Mr. & Mrs. Packard, this foundation invests in innovative people and organizations to improve the lives of children, enable the creative pursuit of science, advance reproductive health, and conserve and restore earth's natural systems. The significant economic downturn has affected all sectors, impacting our grantees and their resources as well as our own.

Areas of funding include:

1. Children, Families, and Communities Program - seeks to ensure opportunities for all children to reach their potential. The goal of this subprogram is to promote positive youth development through after-school programs for all elementary and middle school-aged children in California.
2. Local Grantmaking Program - provides support to community organizations which offer important cultural and social services in local geographic areas of historical importance to the Packard family. School-age children need safe places to go after the school day ends that offer educational, enriching activities. The Foundation recognizes that after-school programs are a bridge from the school day to after-school hours where learning can be reinforced in fun, creative ways. After-school programs also provide parents an alternative to their children staying home alone, unsupervised, during the hours of 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., when they are most vulnerable to engaging in negative behaviors.
3. Organizational Effectiveness and Philanthropy Funds - seek to strengthen the organizational effectiveness of grantee organizations, provide program-related investments to further program goals and objectives, and improve the practice of philanthropy. The Foundation support projects of current Foundation grantees to improve management, governance, and leadership by developing strategies, systems, structures, and skills. Also, the Foundation makes grants to help advance and support the field of private philanthropy.

I hope that this funding information is helpful for you and your organization!

Intel Computer Clubhouse Network

The Intel Computer Clubhouse Network is an after-school community-based technology learning program that enables youth in underserved communities to acquire tools necessary for personal and professional success.

A Computer Clubhouse is more than just a safe environment for youth; it is also a creative place where a "community of learners" — young people working with adult mentors and staff—use technology as a tool for learning and creative expression. The supportive learning environment within the Computer Clubhouses enables young people to build skills as well as self confidence.

The philosophy of the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network is "beyond access," a place where young people use professional hardware and software to create computer-based projects inspired by their own ideas. The Computer Clubhouse Network operates as a program of the Boston Museum of Science in cooperation with the MIT Media Lab.

There are 72 clubhouse locations around the nation. Is your BDPA chapter co-located with one of them? If so, does your chapter have interest in trying to create a strategic alliance with the Intel Computer Clubhouse leadership?

Yeah, Mama, He's Black All Right.

2010 Best Companies for Blacks in Technology

National BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com, the source for diversity talent, awarded the 2010 Best Companies for Blacks in Technology Award to the following companies:

1. Allstate Insurance
2. American Airlines
3. Compuware
4. Eli Lilly & Company
5. Health Care Service Corporation
6. IBM
7. Intel
8. Merck & Company
9. Prudential Financial
10. State Farm Insurance
11. US Navy
12. Wal-Mart Stores
13. WellPoint
14. Wells Fargo

BDPA Corporate Sponsors and Supporters were asked to complete a comprehensive survey that was used to rate their performance in the areas of Tenure, Promotions and Terminations, Career Path Programs, Minority Vendor Programs, and Community Outreach.

"These companies deserve special recognition for promoting a significant number of African Americans into their IT management ranks and for their outstanding community outreach and minority vendor programs," said Milt Haynes, National BDPA Past President.

One of these 14 companies will earn the prestigious Epsilon Award for being the 'best of the best'. Epsilon Awards are presented annually to the top companies in the nation that promote a workplace and environment that supports the advancement of Blacks in the information technology industry. Epsilon Awards will be presented later this year at the 2010 National BDPA Technology Conference to be held in Philadelphia, PA on July 28-31, at the luxurious Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Hotel.

BDPA, a national organization, is the premier organization for African Americans in Information Technology (IT). Founded in 1975, BDPA is celebrating a 30-year commitment to closing the digital divide.

"We are very pleased to recognize the outstanding contributions that these companies have made for Blacks in Technology," said National BDPA President, Yvette Graham. "In this economy, many African Americans in technology are concerned about opportunities for both employment and advancement. It is important to recognize those exceptional companies that have provided African Americans with challenging and fulfilling career opportunities in Information Technology."

"BDPA is the voice of African Americans in IT," said Dan Honig, Chief Operating Officer of WorkplaceDiversity.com. "WorkplaceDiversity.com is honored to be working with BDPA because it is committed to closing the digital divide and helping African American IT professionals advance. We are very pleased to recognize these companies that are truly practicing workplace diversity in their IT and Supplier Diversity departments.

2009 Best Companies for Blacks in Technology [link]
2008 Epsilon Award Winner, Health Care Services Corporation [link]
2007 Epsilon Award Winner, IBM [link]

Is your company on the list? Who do you think will win the Epsilon Award as the 'best of the best' company for Blacks in technology this year?

Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation

The Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation will provide funds to initiate and sustain projects in the Greater Milwaukee community. The Foundation will focus on programs and projects that serve low-income and disadvantaged individuals, women, children and the elderly. The Foundation will support charitable organizations that address these concerns through arts and culture, community and social development, education and health. The Foundation believes that access to educational opportunities will enable youth and adults to become productive and contributing members of society. The Foundation encourages the development of educational programs and systems which are responsive to emerging community needs. Priority will be given to programs for low-income and at-risk youth.

Initial applications will be reviewed on the following schedule:

• Applications Received by January 15 - Application Reviewed by May
• Applications Received by May 15 - Application Reviewed by September
• Applications Received by September 15 - Application Reviewed by December

Generally, applicants will be notified of action taken by the Board not later than the end of the month in which the application is reviewed.

Initial application will be in the form of a letter of intent (maximum 2 pages) sent here:


660 E. Mason Street, 4th Floor
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Telephone: (414) 227-1205

Your letter should include information about the organization, the names of all collaborating organizations, the estimated total project budget, the amount being requested, 501(c)3, information on activities to raise funds from other sources in the community, 990 and current audit (if available). Please attach your organization's mission statement, operating budget, a list of Current Board of Directors and a list of all persons involved in fund raising for the organization. Note that requests for a special project must also include a description of the project, objectives and the project budget.

Letter of Inquiry * IBM Corporate Contribution

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) and BDPA Chicago chapter member Curtis Cade partnered an effort to obtain funding to support the chapter's annual education banquet. BETF submitted a letter of inquiry to the IBM community affairs leadership in Chicago under the company's IBM Community Grant program.

IBM volunteers must be working with an eligible community service organization for an average of eight hours per month for five consecutive months to be eligible for either a cash or equipment grant.

"Our new Community Grants program strengthens IBM On Demand Community by leveraging the full strength of IBM innovation and technology," said Stanley S. Litow, vice president of IBM Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs. "We fully expect that the volunteer efforts of our employees, combined with IBM Community Grants, has the potential to make a lasting impact on organizations that provide some of society's most important services."

We anticipate that we'll have an answer for our Chicago-based funding request in the very near future. However, you don't have to wait. If you believe in what BETF or BDPA Chicago chapter are doing then you are encouraged to make a secure online donation right away!

Social Venture Partners Seattle

Social Venture Partners (SVP) Seattle advances the common good by engaging and connecting a community of philanthropic leaders, strengthening local nonprofits, and catalyzing efforts to accelerate system change. Their vision is that SVP will become the most effective way for an individual to create positive social change in Puget Sound and beyond.

The priority area most relevant to BDPA is called 'Out of School Time'

Out-of-School Time Giving Priorities - Youth spend less than 25 percent of their waking hours in school. Time spent out of the classroom has a tremendous impact on academic achievement, healthy development and successful transition to adulthood. Social Venture Partners is interested in partnering with nonprofit organizations who offer programs that engage youth in safe and constructive activities during out-of-school time, including before and after school hours, evenings and weekends. Programs should provide youth ages 5 to 18 with one or more of the following:

1. quality time with caring adults
2. activities to develop social, life and leadership skills
3. academic enrichment
4. opportunities to contribute to their communities

SVP invites King County non-profit organizations to apply for the Out-of-School Time grant. All letters of inquiry will be due in February, 2011. If your organization meets SVP’s Out-of-School Time Giving Priorities, be sure to read the Grant Guidelines and How to Apply sections of their website.

This funding opportunity appears to only be open to BDPA Seattle chapter.

The Value of BDPA in Today's Marketplace

BETF executive director Wayne Hicks is one of the guest speakers for BDPA Columbus chapter today.   Here is his presentation handout:

The Value of BDPA in Today's Marketplace

View more presentations from Wayne Hicks.

Would you care to share your thoughts on this topic? Where do you find value in your BDPA membership?

Technology Association of Georgia Education Collaborative

The TAG Education Collaborative, formally the TAG Foundation, was formed by TAG to strengthen Georgia's future workforce by uniting Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) resources with leading education initiatives while emphasizing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

TAG seeks to strengthen Georgia's STEM workforce and strengthen the middle and high school resources for delivering STEM education. This is a good fit for our BDPA chapter in Georgia.  TAG would also like to attract more students to STEM disciplines in post secondary education.

TAG has a number of programs including:

1. WebChallenge - This is a high school program designed to reward students who work in a team environment to develop a product that is capable of making a difference in their community by using their creativity and technical knowledge. Students participating in the 2009 program earned more than $21,000 in college scholarships.
2. Summer Internship Program - This is a program for rising high school seniors to provide them with an opportunity to apply theory, knowledge, and acquired skills through work experience utilizing equipment, instruments, techniques, and information not available in their classrooms. The participating students receive a $1,000 stipend for a five week internship. These students earned almost $40,000 in stipends during the summer of 2009.
3. Access to Information & Technology - This is a program designed to provide middle and high schools with the resources needed to deliver STEM programs in a 21st century environment.
4. Future City Competition - This is a middle school program run by Southern Polytechnic State University. It provides a fun and exciting educational engineering program that combines a stimulating engineering challenge with a "hands-on" application to present the student's vision of a city in the future.

I'm hopeful that TAG and BDPA Atlanta chapter can find a way to work together in the coming weeks and months.

Experiencing a Career Transition?

In a career flux, need a change, looking for a new opportunity? Post your resume to the BDPA Talent Management System.

The BDPA Talent Management System provides members with a way to post resumes and Corporate Sponsors with a way to post jobs.

Corporate Sponsors, your investment in BDPA creates positive exposure to technically diverse membership of African American information technology professionals and students. Our system is designed to offer corporations an opportunity to partner with BDPA to meet corporate goals and objectives for recruiting. BDPA programs are open to all corporations with a sincere interest in the vision, mission, objectives and goals of BDPA.

Click here to submit your resume now.

Recruiters, if you would like to take advantage of the BDPA Talent Management System, please contact us by email or phone (800.727-2372) for more information.