Leidos makes $1.75M donation to Drake State for manufacturing, IT programs

RESTON, Va. — Education is power and Leidos took a step today to provide Drake State Community & Technical College students with the tools to attain the power through education.

With its announced $1.75 million donation to the school, Leidos is helping create learning opportunities for students and allowing them to gain hands-on experience with complex technical and manufacturing projects.

In recognition of this gift, Drake State will name its new advanced manufacturing facility the Leidos Advanced Training Complex.

“At Leidos, we believe in the transformative power of education, and we are committed to advancing opportunities for underrepresented communities,” said CEO Tom Bell. “Through this collaboration with Drake State, we are not only investing in the future leaders of our industry but also supporting an institution that has a long history of nurturing talent, innovation, and excellence in Black communities.

“We are proud to contribute to the continued success of Drake State and its remarkable students.”

The Leidos gift will help fund advanced manufacturing and IT programs, student apprenticeships, campus technical and infrastructure upgrades, a new scholarship endowment, and faculty development opportunities.

“This generous gift from Leidos represents a powerful investment in the future of Drake State’s students, faculty, and the broader community,” said Drake State President Dr. Patricia Sims. “The new Leidos Advanced Training Complex will offer students access to hands-on engineering, manufacturing and technology experiences that will equip them for bright futures in aerospace, technology and advanced manufacturing.

“We thank Tom Bell and Leidos for their support and look forward to collaboration for years to come.”

The donation builds on July’s announcement that Drake State has become a Leidos subcontractor in support of NASA, helping provide critical IT solutions and end-user services under the Advanced Enterprise Global IT Solutions (AEGIS) contract.

The collaboration with Drake State continues Leidos’ to supporting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions.