Written by Kim Bishop | Corporate Responsibility
Our culture of giving is a fundamental part of the way we operate at Gen. No matter where they are in the world, our team members come together for the shared purpose of making a positive impact in their local communities. This spirit of service is especially apparent at our offices in Czechia.
In addition to partnerships with organizations like Eduzměna, which works to expand access to quality education in the country, Avast products are discounted for nonprofits in need. We also maintain thriving volunteer programs, connecting team members with service opportunities both in and out of the office.
Advancing Quality Education
The education system in Czechia faces several challenges. In 2023, the Czech School Inspectorate found that its primary schools consistently fail to engage their students, and a 2024 study from the SYRI National Institute reported that 13% of teachers in Czechia want to leave the profession. Eduzměna is working to change that, and Gen is one of its major backers.
The organization aims to create Education Support Centres (ESC) across the country that will improve students’ educational results and standardize the quality of education that is available to them. The first ESC is due to open in 2025 as a pilot project in Kutná Hora, which will engage students, families, principals, teachers and school founders at nearly 60 schools.
Eduzměna works directly with schools to provide activities for students, professional development for teachers and strategic support for administrators. The organization also establishes a communication network across the region, facilitating effective coordination between schools, as well as best practice sharing. Following the successful implementation of the ESC in Kutná Hora, Eduzměna plans to scale these plans across four additional regions in the coming years: České Budějovice, Turnovsko, Přešticko-Blovicko and Šumpersko-Zábřežsko.
Serving Those in Need
Further initiatives allow team members to make direct contributions to the wellbeing of their communities, often with additional support from Gen. Recent examples are listed below.
- Employees can mentor women in the early stages of their cybersecurity careers through our partnership with Czechitas.
- Our Prague office hosts an ongoing clothing donation campaign to support local charities.
- Our Halloween donation campaign (with 1:1 matching from Gen) aids SOS Children’s Villages, which cares for orphaned and vulnerable children.
- Employees can use the Gen Giving Hub to purchase holiday gifts for children and seniors in need through Strom splněných přání (Wishing Tree) and Ježíškova vnoučata, respectively.
Additionally, Avast, one of our trusted Cyber Safety brands, collaborates with Tech Soup to offer Avast Business CloudCare products at a significant discount to nonprofits across Czechia to protect against all forms of malware and other cyberthreats.
Strengthening Our Culture of Giving
This dedication to service among our team members in Czechia is part of a larger culture of giving that thrives throughout our company. In fiscal 2024, more than 500 Gen team members participated in our first ever Global Volunteer Week, and 55% of our workforce used the Gen Giving Hub, powered by Benevity, either to volunteer or donate to a cause, exceeding Benevity’s industry benchmark. For more on our volunteering and giving programs, check out our 2024 Social Impact Report.
