Community outreach program
Vaisala believes in a world where environmental observations improve daily life. As the global leader in environmental measurement and an active member of society,
Vaisala has a responsibility to act as a good corporate citizen.
Vaisala’s overall objective for community outreach is to support organizations and projects that advance environmental awareness and science education. All our outreach activities should be in line with Vaisala’s values and resonate well with environmental issues such as climate, weather, environmental measurement and environmental sciences.
In 2008, donations amounted to EUR 119,800 globally. Our objective in 2009 is to focus our donations and correlate them better with our community outreach policy. Vaisala does not donate funds to political parties, causes or campaigns.
Focus areas
Vaisala may provide charitable donations of product/s, funding or services to non-profit organizations through its Community outreach program, with a focus on the following main areas:
Science education
Students and their teachers, in contexts that promote natural sciences, innovation, and environmental awareness. Universities, scientists and researchers who help increase the understanding of environmental observations and their implications. Scholarships paid in the form of salary are outside the scope of this program.
Non-profit organizations working in environmental disaster
prevention & recovery
Non-profit organizations that protect lives and assets - particularly in connection with the prevention of environmental hazards. Impartial and neutral humanitarian organizations that provide protection and assistance to people affected by disasters.
Current sponsorships
Following the guidelines set by Vaisala’s Community outreach program, we sponsor a variety of different causes.
Professor Vilho Väisälä awards
Vaisala sponsors the bi-annual Professor Vilho Väisälä awards granted by the World Meteorological Organization. The awards amount to a value of USD 20,000.
Vilho, Yrjö and Kalle Väisälä Fund
In the 1960’s, Professor Vilho Väisälä, the company’s founder, donated Vaisala shares to the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters. These shares were used to establish the Vilho, Yrjö and Kalle Väisälä Fund. The Fund provides grants annually for research in mathematics, physics, geophysics, meteorology and astronomy. In 2008, the Fund granted a total of EUR 1.3 million to more than 100 researchers. The Fund’s available grants are dependent on Vaisala’s profits and thus the company has an economic responsibility towards the Fund.
Scholarships
Vaisala co-sponsors two research scholarships with the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the University of Helsinki, Professor David Schultz and Dr. Dmitri Moissev. Vaisala sponsors a student for a two-year M.Sc. program in Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. Furthermore, the company supports the research on radar meteorology at the Colorado State University. Vaisala also sponsors four fellowships, of which one is a doctoral fellowship and three are post-doctoral fellowships.
GLOBE
GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide primary and secondary school-based science program that teaches young people about weather observations and international scientific collaboration. The program covers some 20,000 schools in over 100 countries. Vaisala has recently supported the program by sponsoring GLOBE Games, a learning event for students, held in Central Finland in August 2008.
School weather stations
Vaisala donated 20 weather stations of EUR 20,000 per station, to Finnish schools in 2001. These weather stations were upgraded and calibrated in 2008.
Muikku research vessel
Vaisala sponsored the Muikku research vessel with a Vaisala Maritime Observation System MAWS410, a comprehensive automatic weather station for professional use. The Vessel is used to research the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Finland and some inland waterways. Furthermore, Muikku is used for educational purposes by the University of Joensuu.
Local community
Vaisala organizes an annual contest at Kaivoksela elementary school, which is located close to Vaisala Head office in Vantaa. Topics and prizes are related to the environment; in 2008 the theme of a drawing contest was “Weather in the future”.
Vaisala employees also carry out volunteer work in their local communities. For instance, many Vaisala people are very knowledgeable in certain areas, like weather
phenomena or scientific research in various fields. Accordingly, many of our experts give lectures in schools and universities about their subjects of expertise.
Disaster relief
To help the reconstruction work in Sichuan, China after the 2008 earthquake, Vaisala donated four Automatic Weather Stations for monitoring and reporting of surface
meteorological data and two stations for monitoring and reporting of surface weather data at heliports or temporary landing sites. Surface weather station observation
data is an important element in making local and regional weather forecasts by the national meteorological services, as well as in increasing helicopter and aircraft landing and take-off safety.
The donation was channeled through the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), the public authority and expert in China for weather forecasting and warnings. The CMA was able to use the weather stations to extend the weather observation coverage in the disaster area and thus improve the targeted weather forecast in support of the relief operations.
UN ISDR – The Platform for the
Promotion of Early Warning
In 2008, Vaisala sponsored the PPEW (Platform for the Promotion of Early Warning), which operates under the UN ISDR (International Strategy for Disaster Reduction). PPEW does valuable work in promoting the development of early warning and preparedness systems. It is widely recognized that early warning systems can save lives for instance at times of earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural catastrophes.
Promoting awareness
Vaisala takes part in the United States’ National Weather Service’s Lightning Safety Awareness Week as well the local Thunderstorm Safety Awareness Week in Arizona. Vaisala sponsors events during these weeks and provides expert talks.
