Bayer Invests Over $400,000 in STEM Education and Workforce Development in Greater Houston

BAYTOWN, Texas, April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As demand grows in Greater Houston for more skilled and diverse STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) workers, Bayer Corporation is meeting the challenge by investing more than $400,000 to strengthen STEM education and create a continuous STEM education-to-workforce pipeline in the Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District (GCCISD) with grants and scholarships targeted to middle and high schools.

Through its philanthropic arm, the Bayer USA Foundation, Bayer is awarding a $386,000 grant to the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) to implement its Laying the Foundation teacher training program in GCCISD junior high and high schools.  Laying the Foundation aims to increase the number of high school students succeeding in advanced placement (AP) math and science courses through enhanced teacher training.  The program will provide all 116 of GCCISD's sixth through 12^th grade science and math teachers with high quality content-based training that strengthens their instruction.  The program has the potential to benefit the district's current 22,000 students and many more in years to come.

In addition to the NMSI grant, Bayer MaterialScience, whose largest U.S. manufacturing plant is strategically positioned in Baytown, is awarding $25,000 in scholarships, coupled with paid internships, to seven GCCISD high school graduates who plan to pursue manufacturing careers in engineering, process operations, maintenance and instrumentation, among others.  Scholarships will then be awarded annually thereafter as part of Bayer's commitment to the STEM education-to-workforce pipeline.

Dr. Mae C. Jemison, a Houston resident who made history in 1992 as the nation's first African-American female astronaut to orbit the Earth, joined Bayer, NMSI and GCCISD officials at Horace Mann Junior High school to make the announcement.  Dr. Jemison, who serves as national spokesperson for Bayer's Presidential award-winning Making Science Make Sense® initiative, also spent the day with GCCISD sixth-graders igniting their curiosity by sharing science, experiments and stories about her life.

"This major investment by Bayer advances our ongoing commitment to improving both STEM education and diversity – and provides high-paying, high-skilled STEM jobs for our local community," said Rod Herrick, Vice President and Site Manager, Bayer Baytown, Industrial Park, Bayer MaterialScience, LLC.  "Bayer has created an innovative and seamless STEM education pipeline beginning in elementary school with our Making Science Make Sense program and progressing on through junior and high school with NMSI's College Readiness program.  Then, at the college and university levels, our community college process technology partnerships and four-year engineering programs and internships advance successful students into the workplace."

"And doing so," adds Herrick, "at a time when demand for skilled STEM workers of all races, ethnicities and genders is growing exponentially."

According to the Greater Houston Partnership, 2012 was Houston's best year for job creation in more than two decades, with chemicals manufacturing adding 3,000 jobs over the last three years.  In the next two to three years, the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership projects the Southeast Texas chemical industry will need to add some 20,000 skilled workers as the natural gas industry continues to expand.

"We are grateful to Bayer for its generosity, its longtime support of the Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District and for providing our students with such extraordinary opportunities," said GCCISD Superintendent Dr. Salvador Cavazos.  "Through NMSI's teacher training program and the manufacturing scholarships and internships, Bayer is ensuring our students have the academic foundation – and the real world experience -- they need to be college and career ready."

"At NMSI, we know that student success in STEM lies, in large part, with excellent teaching," said Gregg Fleisher, Chief Academic Officer, and NMSI.  "Our Laying the Foundation teacher training program provides teachers the rigorous professional development that ultimately levels the playing field and promotes STEM achievement among all students."

"Today, more than ever, with the changing demographics in Houston, we must ensure that more women, African Americans, Hispanics and American Indians know about the robust work and career opportunities in STEM fields and we also need to ensure support and available pathways for education and training for these jobs,"  Dr. Jemison said.  "That's what this new Bayer program is seeking to do – making students and others aware that the vast majority of high paying STEM jobs are filled by two or four year degree graduates and preparing them for those jobs."

"And as important, even for those students who do not pursue STEM careers, the Bayer programs provide the critical science literacy foundation needed to succeed in a world steeped in science and technology."

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About Bayer Corporation and Making Science Make Sense®
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. As an inventor company, it sets trends in research-intensive areas. Bayer's products and services are designed to benefit people and improve the quality of life. At the same time, the Group 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, the Group 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 Bayer MaterialScience, LLC
Bayer MaterialScience is among the world's leading manufacturers of polymers and high-performance plastics. Our innovative developments in polycarbonates, polyurethanes, coating, adhesive and specialty raw materials enhance the design and functionality of products in a wide variety of markets. Key customers include the automotive and construction industries, the electrical and electronics sector, manufacturers of sport and leisure goods, and representatives of the healthcare and medical technology sectors.  With approximately 14,300 employees at 30 locations around the world, the company generated total sales of 11.2 billion euros in 2013.

About Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District is a growing district, which focuses on providing quality instructional programs to prepare students for college and careers. The district's student population of 22,188 is 58% Hispanic, 23% White and 16% African American. Almost two-thirds of the student population is considered economically disadvantaged. Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students make up nearly 13% of the district's enrollment.

About National Math and Science Initiative
The National Math and Science Initiative, a non-profit organization, was launched in 2007 by top leaders in business, education, and science to transform education in the United States. NMSI has received national recognition for training 3-12 teachers and improving student performance through the rapid expansion of the NMSI College Readiness program, NMSI's Laying the Foundation teacher training program, and UT Austin's UTeach program.  For more information, visit www.nms.org.

Forward-Looking Statement
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

SOURCE Bayer Corporation