2010 NSTA New Science Teacher Academy Fellows Announced

48 Middle and Secondary School Science Teachers From Across the Country to Begin Year-long Professional Development Journey

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning, in partnership with Astellas Pharma US, Inc. ("Astellas"); Bayer Corporation; and ServiceMaster, today announced the 48 middle and secondary science teachers from across the country who will take part as Fellows in the 2010 NSTA New Science Teacher Academy. Selected from hundreds of applicants nationwide, the Fellows will participate in a year-long professional development program designed to help promote quality science teaching, enhance teacher confidence and classroom excellence and improve teacher content knowledge.

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"Each of the Fellows has conveyed a strong desire to develop their skills as teachers so that they can better foster their students' interest in science," said NSTA Executive Director Francis Eberle. "We are very proud of this year's group of Fellows and are grateful for their commitment to science education and to their students."

Representing 29 states, the 2010 Fellows were selected on the basis of several criteria, including showing evidence of a solid science background and displaying a strong interest in growing as a professional science educator. Each Fellow will receive a comprehensive NSTA membership package, online mentoring with trained mentors who teach in the same discipline, and the opportunity to participate in a variety of web-based professional development activities, including web seminars. In addition, each Fellow will receive financial support to attend and participate in NSTA's 2011 National Conference on Science Education in San Francisco.

Astellas will fund the participation of 12 science teachers as Astellas-NSTA Fellows. Bayer Corporation will support 10 teachers as Bayer-NSTA Fellows and ServiceMaster will support two teachers, one as a TruGreen-NSTA Fellow and the other as a Terminix-NSTA Fellow. The remaining 24 science teachers will be supported by an endowment through NSTA and named Maitland P. Simmons-NSTA Fellows.

"At Astellas, we hear from many of our employees how their career choice was inspired by a science teacher, so it brings us great pleasure to support the NSTA New Science Teacher Academy for a third year," commented Seigo Kashii, president and CEO of Astellas Pharma US, Inc. "It is very important that we provide science teachers, especially those just starting their careers, with the knowledge and tools that will help them reach their full potential. By working together, we can help cultivate a love for science among countless generations of students."

"A firm grounding in the sciences is essential for all American students and if there's one thing we at Bayer have learned through more than 40 years of working in the science education arena is that the only way we can expect students to achieve in science is if their teachers are properly trained to teach it," said Rebecca Lucore, Executive Director of the Bayer USA Foundation and Manager of Making Science Make Sense®. "We congratulate every one of this year's Fellows and are confident they will find the NSTA New Science Teacher Academy extremely valuable as they sharpen their classroom skills."

"We're delighted to be a part of this worthwhile program, and to help sponsor teachers who are fostering an appreciation of science in the everyday lives of their students," said J. Patrick Spainhour, CEO of ServiceMaster. "We're deeply committed to science education because science plays such an important role in our company and all of our brands."

Launched during the spring of 2007, the NSTA New Science Teacher Academy, co-founded by the Amgen Foundation, was established to help reduce the high attrition rate in the science teaching profession by providing professional development and mentoring support to early-career science teachers. Since its inception, the Academy has provided high-quality professional development to nearly 600 science teachers nationwide.

The NSTA New Science Teacher Academy is a component of the John Glenn Center for Science Education campaign, a five-year $43 million national effort to make excellence in science teaching and learning a reality for all U.S. students. This effort, one of the most significant ever undertaken by NSTA, will fund a body of forward-thinking programs and a state-of-the-art facility designed to promote leadership, learning, and advocacy in science education.

For a list of the 2010 Fellows or to learn more about the NSTA New Science Teachers Academy, please visit www.nsta.org/academy.

About NSTA

The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association (www.nsta.org) is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership includes approximately 60,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.

About Astellas Pharma US, Inc. and Science WoRx

The Astellas culture and brand is committed to building community, helping others, encouraging integrity and inspiring people to make a difference, today, tomorrow and every day. Astellas Pharma US, Inc., located in Deerfield, Illinois, is a U.S. affiliate of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc. Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. The organization is committed to becoming a global category leader in focused areas by combining outstanding R&D and marketing capabilities. In the U.S., Astellas markets products in the areas of Anti-Infectives, Cardiology, Dermatology, Neuroscience, Transplant, and Urology. For more information about Astellas Pharma US, Inc., please visit our website at www.astellas.us or follow us on Twitter (@AstellasUS).

Established in 2010, Science WoRx is a mentoring program and online resource network to support science teachers' needs in and outside the classroom. Created by Astellas Pharma US, Inc., the program seeks to increase understanding of the role that science plays in human health and medicine, and to inspire the next generation of scientists.

About Bayer Corporation and Making Science Make Sense

Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is a subsidiary of Bayer AG, an international health care, nutrition and high-tech materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company's products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time Bayer creates value through innovation, growth and high earning power. The Corporation is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its role as a socially and ethically responsible corporate citizen. Economy, ecology and social responsibility are corporate policy objectives of equal rank.  In North America, Bayer had 2009 net sales of approximately 7.7 billion euros (about $10.7 billion) and employed 16,300 at year end. For more information, go to www.bayerus.com.

Formalized in 1995, Making Science Make Sense is Bayer's Presidential award-winning initiative that advances science literacy across the United States through hands-on, inquiry-based science learning, employee volunteerism and a national public education campaign led by astronaut, scientist and educator, Dr. Mae C. Jemison.

About ServiceMaster

ServiceMaster currently serves residential and commercial customers through a network of more than 5,100 company-owned locations and franchised licenses. The company's brands include TruGreen, TruGreen LandCare, Terminix, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic, and AmeriSpec. The core services of the company include lawn care and landscape maintenance, termite and pest control, home warranties, cleaning and disaster restoration, house cleaning, furniture repair, and home inspection. For more information, go to http://www.servicemaster.com/.

SOURCE National Science Teachers Association