SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today announced that it has joined US2020 as a Founding Leadership Partner. US2020 is a new organization announced today through a partnership between educational non-profits, companies that are leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and the White House.

US2020 was formed to improve STEM education through skill-based mentorship. The initiative calls on CEOs of American companies to commit, by the year 2020, 20 percent of their workforce to volunteer at least 20 hours per year as an educational mentor in a STEM-related discipline. SanDisk will work with Citizen Schools, a national nonprofit organization at the heart of US2020, to bring select employees to middle schools in communities where SanDisk has a significant presence as part of its $1 million philanthropic commitment.

SanDisk's president and CEO, Sanjay Mehrotra, recently challenged the company's entire global professional workforce to volunteer a portion of their time to charity, which will be matched by a cash grant of $45 for every hour donated, up to $2,000 per employee. Together, SanDisk's participation in US2020 and its goal of broader employee volunteerism are elements in SanDisk's twenty fifth-anniversary celebration taking place throughout 2013.

"SanDisk has a long history of volunteerism, which is a key part of our corporate culture," said Mehrotra. "The experience our employees get as volunteers provides tremendous personal and developmental benefits to them, as well as positively impacts the lives of students with whom they interact. Initiatives like US2020 further our tradition as advocates for improved STEM education, and we are proud to support the White House and others in this noble endeavor."

"The US2020 initiative provides scientists and technology experts with the opportunity to meaningfully engage with children and open their eyes to previously unfamiliar professions," said Eric Schwarz Executive Chairman of US2020 and co-founder and CEO, Citizen Schools. "We are excited that SanDisk has partnered with this initiative to ensure that underserved students have access to life-changing moments of discovery with successful science and technology professionals."