U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Dr. Mae C. Jemison, Bayer’s national Making Science Make Sense® spokesperson, were on hand as Philip Blake, President of Bayer Corporation, presented the donation to Dr. Paul A. Winslow, President and Co–Founder, S2S. Sen. Booker, Dr. Jemison and Mr. Blake then joined eighth graders from Newark’s Link Community Charter School as they donned lab coats and safety glasses to perform four challenging experiments focused on the periodic table.

The new Bayer grant will underwrite all visits by middle and high school students to S2S’s laboratory and its virtual labs during the 2014–15 and 2015–16 school years. In 2014–2015, with 86 planned school visits, Bayer will sponsor more than 3,000 students and some 4,000 the following year when 100 school visits are scheduled. Together with the virtual labs, Bayer will reach more than 10,000 students. Nearly two–thirds of these students attend schools in the 31 districts that are part of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA), formerly known as Abbott districts.

During today’s announcement, Bayer called on additional companies located in the Garden State to support Students 2 Science’s mission.

“One year ago, Bayer celebrated the opening of its state-of-art U.S. facilities in Whippany. Today’s grant to Students 2 Science continues deepening those roots in communities where Bayer’s employees live and work by reaffirming the company’s commitment to improving STEM education and building a more diverse STEM pipeline and workforce,” Mr. Blake said. “Students 2 Science plays an invaluable role in STEM education here and offers STEM companies throughout the region unique volunteer opportunities for their scientists and engineers. We, at Bayer, urge them to get involved.”

S2S makes science and scientists accessible to students. The organization works to inspire, motivate and educate elementary, middle and high school students about pursuing STEM careers by getting them out of the classroom and into the laboratory where they conduct challenging experiments side–by–side with professional scientists using sophisticated lab instruments. “Bayer, Students 2 Science and I all know that increased education in science, technology, engineering and math drives innovation in our communities, in our state, and throughout our country,” Sen. Booker said. “With this grant, Bayer is investing in New Jersey’s future and ensuring that our students have access to quality education in innovative fields that will help grow our economy."

The Making Science Make Sense program is Bayer’s companywide initiative that advances science literacy across the United States through hands–on, inquiry–based science learning, employee volunteerism and a public education campaign led by Dr. Jemison –– astronaut, scientist and educator.

The 2013 Bayer Facts of Science Education survey revealed that only half of the nation’s Fortune 1000 employers were able to find enough qualified two- and four-year STEM degree holders for open, unfilled jobs and very few employers – only 16 percent – said they were seeing what they consider adequate numbers of female, African American, Hispanic and American Indian job candidates who have two– and four–year STEM degrees.

“The Students 2 Science Board of Directors and staff are enormously grateful to Bayer for this generous grant that will allow us to serve thousands of students –– many of them from underserved districts –– and achieve our goals over the next two years,” Dr. Winslow said. “By bringing students into the lab, our aim is to eliminate the intimidation factor, introduce them to the excitement of science and connect them with successful STEM professionals so they can learn firsthand about the benefits of a STEM career.”

New Jersey business leaders confirm they cannot find the STEM talent they need to stay competitive, according to Change the Equation’s Vital Signs report. While Vital Signs credits the state with stretching its math and science education dollars farther than other states do, it says no state has been able to close persistent student achievement gaps among racial and ethnic groups. In 2011, only 9 percent of New Jersey’s African American eighth graders and 12 percent of Hispanic eighth graders scored at or above proficient in science.

At the same time, New Jersey’s K-12 STEM Ed Report Card 2011 projects the state will add roughly 270,000 STEM-related jobs that will need to be filled by 2018.

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About Bayer Corporation and Making Science Make Sense®
Bayer Corporation is a subsidiary of Bayer AG, a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. As an inventor company, Bayer sets trends in research-intensive areas. Bayer products and services are designed to benefit people and improve the quality of life. At the same time, Bayer aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and acts as a socially and ethically responsible corporate citizen. In fiscal 2013, Bayer employed 113,200 people at year-end and had sales of €40.2 billion. In North America, Bayer had 2013 net sales of €9,680 million ($12,874 million) and employed 15,200 at year-end. For more information, go to www.bayerus.com.

Making Science Make Sense® (MSMS) is Bayer’s company-wide initiative that advances science literacy through hands-on, inquiry-based science education, employee volunteerism and a public education campaign. Currently, 12 Bayer sites around the U.S. operate local MSMS programs, which together represent a national volunteer corps of more than 1,000 employees. For more information, go to www.bayerus.com/msms.

About Bayer USA Foundation
The Bayer USA Foundation is an endowed 501(c)(3) entity with a programmatic focus on education and workforce development, and environment and sustainability. The Foundation supports organizations that enhance quality of life, connect diverse groups, ensure preparedness for tomorrow’s leaders, and improve communities in which Bayer employees live and work. The Bayer USA Foundation is one of three Bayer foundations worldwide, including the Bayer Science & Education Foundation and the Bayer Cares Foundation. To learn more, go to bayerus.com/foundation.

About Students 2 Science, Inc.
Students 2 Science, Inc, is a 501(c)(3) public charity providing an authentic, state of the art laboratory experience complete with modern instrumentation and professional scientists. Teams of students, working collaboratively with teams of scientific professionals, solve real life problems while being introduced to a wide variety of STEM career opportunities. For more information, go to www.students2science.org.

Media Contact(s)
Name: Christopher Loder
Phone: 862-404-7437
Company: Bayer Corporation
Email: [email protected]

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