AP Photo/Petar Petrov
- The US-based company, well-known for their F-35 and F-22 Raptor fighter jets, is opening up a science-focused preschool in Jerusalem.
- Jerusalem's municipality said the school is part of the company's established STEM kindergarten network called "Madakids."
- Lockheed Martin has invested over $1 billion on reciprocal procurement deals with Israel between 2010 and 2017.
- Israel's air force said this week it was the first country to have used the company's F-35 stealth fighters in combat.
Aerospace contractor Lockheed Martin has shifted its focus from cockpits to classrooms.
The US-based company, well-known for their F-35 and F-22 Raptor fighter jets, is opening up a science-focused preschool in Jerusalem, Israel.
Jerusalem's municipality said in a press release Friday the new school is part of the company's established STEM kindergarten network called "Madakids," which already has locations across cities in Southern Israel.
The newest addition will be located in Jerusalem's Kiryat Menachem neighborhood, home to many immigrants of Soviet and Ethiopian background.
The said that the preschool's opening is in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel.
The municipality said Lockheed's Martin's involvement in the kindergarten reflects a "pioneering approach to early science education," and focuses on the newest advancements in science and technology.
Marilyn Johnson, the president and CEO of Lockheed Martin, explained the company's interest in investing in Israeli kids.
"The State of Israel understands better than almost any nation in the world the importance of educating the next generation in science, technology, engineering, and math.
"We share a belief that these STEM fields are the building blocks for young minds and the drivers of human ingenuity and aspiration," she said during the program's opening ceremony in December.
Lockheed Martin has a strong relationship to Israel. It has invested over $1 billion on reciprocal procurement deals with Israel between 2010 and 2017, Israeli business site Globes reported.
On Tuesday, Israel's air force said it was the first country to have used the company's F-35 stealth fighters in combat.