Samsung Electronics has awarded $1 million to the United Way Capital Area to help expand early education programs for low-income children, the Austin American-Statesman reports.

The donation will support the United Way's Success by 6 initiative, which works to prepare preschool children, especially those from low-income households, for elementary school. In 2009, the initiative provided assistance to more than 9,700 children. The award from Samsung will enable another 3,000 children to receive help over the next two to three years.

Samsung's Austin chip-making plant, already one of the region's biggest technology employers, is scheduled to undergo a $3.6 billion expansion and add six hundred jobs by next year. The donation is part of a larger effort by the company to play a more high-profile role in central Texas communities.

In the past, Samsung has marked major investments in Austin with events such as rodeos and concerts, but this time company officials decided a charitable gift would be more appropriate, given the state of the economy. "It is a different climate today," said Catherine Morse, general counsel and public affairs director for Samsung's Austin operations. "There is a lot of pain in the community, especially in the nonprofit community. Rather than throw a party for ourselves, we said, let's celebrate by giving to the underprivileged children of Austin in this way."