The Charitable Task Force’s primary objective was to identify areas within the community where Optiver could lend a helping hand. Following a thorough internal survey to grasp the interests of our employees, three main themes emerged: sustainable and healthy food, supporting underserved areas and promoting STEM education. The task force diligently sought to find communities and projects that resonated with these focal themes, leading to a partnership with Erie Elementary, a charter school on the West side of Chicago.
Erie Elementary, which has a bilingual curriculum, stood out as a great fit for Optiver’s community involvement ambitions from the onset. The school’s endeavor to provide quality STEM education in both English and Spanish, along with its need for improved nutritional offerings for students, aligned with the objectives of Optiver’s Charitable Task Force. However, the task of enhancing the school’s meal offerings was not devoid of challenges. The school was in dire need of upgraded food preparation facilities, a hurdle that Optiver was more than willing to help overcome.
With a charitable donation, we facilitated the acquisition of essential culinary equipment for Erie Elementary, enabling the school to enhance the quality and nutritional value of meals offered to students. This intervention not only sustained the young learners, but also enriched their time spent in school, ensuring they remained attentive and engaged during school hours.
