FORT WORTH, Texas, August 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Elbit Systems of America, LLC, an innovative leader in defense, commercial aviation, homeland security and medical instrumentation solutions, announces its continued commitment in developing tomorrow's innovative leaders by supporting STEM education.

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and the education of these disciplines. According to the United States Department of Education, only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in mathematics and are interested in a STEM career.

"I believe it is important that our nation maintains a lead in mathematics and science," commented Raanan Horowitz, Elbit Systems of America President and Chief Executive Officer. "As a manufacture of integrated system solutions we see the importance of this education on a daily basis and are committed to supporting our youth and young adults through internship training, scholarships, and mentoring."

Elbit Systems of America, in conjunction with the Army Scholarship Foundation, established a scholarship to assist children of current and former members of the United States Army and to spouses of currently serving soldiers in their pursuit of higher education within STEM disciplines. This scholarship was created in the honor of SFC Neal Benson, an employee of Elbit Systems of America. An eight-year employee and former engineer, Benson is also a member of the Army National Guard, 20^th Special Forces Group. During Benson's second tour in Afghanistan, he was injured by an Improved Explosive Device. The explosion left SFC Benson with serious head, eye and facial trauma.  

"It is honor to be the namesake of this scholarship. When someone joins the Army to serve our nation, it's not just the soldier who makes sacrifices, their entire family does," stated Benson. "This scholarship provides the opportunity for military families to continue their education in a field that will further serve our country."

In addition to the Army Scholarship, Elbit Systems of America also supports the "FIRST™ (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Scholarship."  These scholarships are awarded to high school seniors that participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition and demonstrate leadership within the program. In the summer of 2015, Horowitz announced Michelle Arnold of Medford, New York, and Sakshi Hester of San Diego, California, as the first recipients of the Elbit Systems of America FIRST Robotics scholarships.

According to Thomas Boehm, Arnold's program mentor, Michelle first became interested in robotics during her freshman year of high school. This program allowed her to pursue her passion for computer science. Arnold will continue her studies at RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), while Hester will attend UC Berkeley. Each will receive a scholarship for $5000.

Every year the company also extends scholarships to the dependent children of employees. Since the inception of this program, Elbit Systems of America has provided 41 scholarships to children continuing their education in a STEM discipline with dreams of careers in Engineering, Finance, and Medical fields.

At Elbit Systems of America it is about more than financial contributions. Employees also devote their time to supporting STEM programs by mentoring students in the areas of the FIRST Lego League Robotics Competition and Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC). Denton Marlowe, a hardware engineer from Talladega, AL, mentored Team Interstellar on topics such as propulsion, rocket design, and aerodynamics. The team, from Lincoln High School, was one of 100 teams from across the United States that qualified for the TARC National Finals in Washington, DC.

"I like that fact that Elbit Systems of America is willing to invest in more than the future of the company, but also in the future of our society as a whole, inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers," said Marlowe.

Each summer, Elbit Systems of America hosts STEM interns as part of their engineering department working side-by side with seasoned engineers. The collaboration with industry professionals allows students to witness the real-world application of science and technology.

"Our company commits millions of dollars annually into research and development. More importantly is our commitment to future engineers through our internship program," commented Bill Lenz, Vice President Engineering. "This summer, we have several STEM interns in each of the four disciplines that have the opportunity to advance their knowledge of science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. These students also bring fresh, innovative ideas to the company. Our commitment is to nurture their passion for STEM and to encourage them in reaching their career goals."

About Elbit Systems of America, LLC

Elbit Systems of America is a leading provider of high performance products, system solutions, and support services focusing on the commercial aviation, defense, homeland security and medical instrumentation markets.  With facilities throughout the United States, Elbit Systems of America is dedicated to supporting those who contribute daily to the safety and security of the United States.  Elbit Systems of America, LLC is wholly owned by Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE: ESLT), a global electronics company engaged in a wide range of programs for innovative defense and commercial applications. For additional information, visit: http://www.elbitsystems-us.com or follow us on Twitter.

About Elbit Systems  

Elbit Systems Ltd. is an international high technology company engaged in a wide range of defense, homeland security and commercial programs throughout the world. The Company, which includes Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries, operates in the areas of aerospace, land and naval systems, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance ("C4ISR"), unmanned aircraft systems, advanced electro-optics, electro-optic space systems, EW suites, signal intelligence systems, data links and communications systems, radios and cyber-based systems. The Company also focuses on the upgrading of existing platforms, developing new technologies for defense, homeland security and commercial applications and providing a range of support services, including training and simulation systems.

For additional information, visit: http://www.elbitsystems.com or follow us on Twitter.

Trademarks 

Elbit Systems of America and other trademarks, service marks and logos are registered or unregistered marks of Elbit Systems of America companies in the United States and in foreign countries.  Copyright © 2014 Elbit Systems of America.  All rights reserved.

Forward Looking Statement 

This press release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) regarding Elbit Systems Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries (collectively the Company), to the extent such statements do not relate to historical or current fact.  Forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions.  Forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended.  These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict.  Therefore, actual future results, performance and trends may differ materially from these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation: scope and length of customer contracts; governmental regulations and approvals; changes in governmental budgeting priorities; general market, political and economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates or sells, including Israel and the United States among others; differences in anticipated and actual program performance, including the ability to perform under long-term fixed-price contracts; and the outcome of legal and/or regulatory proceedings.  The factors listed above are not all-inclusive, and further information is contained in Elbit Systems Ltd.'s latest annual report on Form 20-F, which is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.

Contact: Shari Clarkson, +1-682-286-2363, sharon.clarkson@elbitsystems-us.com

SOURCE Elbit Systems of America