Teachers Receive V.I.P. Treatment at the Philadelphia Science Festival and Summer Science Institute

PHILADELPHIA, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time, the Philadelphia Science Festival will celebrate teachers with free professional development workshops, resources, and a teachers' lounge at its Science Carnival on the Parkway.  FMC Corporation is sponsoring these activities through its $100,000 "Teaching the Science of Curiosity" grant.

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On Saturday, April 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., teachers can see non-stop experiments, interactive activities and a packed line-up of live entertainment at the Science Carnival on the Parkway.  All regional teachers are invited to visit the Science Carnival teachers' lounge for free classroom resources, to meet scientists, and register to win a school supplies gift card or a teacher trip to an FMC research lab.

Also beginning on April 20 and continuing through April 25, teachers can attend Act 48-accredited workshops with a wealth of resources and approaches for the classroom, from lesson plans and streaming documentaries to candy models that illustrate the sequencing of genomes. For more details and registration, visit www.philasciencefestival.org.

Teachers can also use the code "EDUCATE" when registering for additional Science Festival programs and receive a 10 percent discount on ticket prices and special educator seating.

Through its "Teaching the Science of Curiosity" grant, FMC is sponsoring free Summer Science Institute courses for Philadelphia School District teachers.  An FMC scientist will visit these courses, which cover introduction to chemistry, astronomy, landforms, sound, and restless earth.  Information for enrolling in the Summer Science Institute will also be available at the Carnival. 

"By connecting teachers with real scientists and giving them training and resources, they will be better equipped to engage students and spark their interest in future job opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math," says Barbara Del Duke, FMC's senior manager of public affairs and community relations.  "Students can turn today's curiosity into tomorrow's innovation." 

Research has shown that students are more curious and interested when they connect science principles with real-world applications. Unless students are 'hooked on' math and science before grades 6-8, they may never become interested.   

"We've partnered with The Franklin Institute, the Philadelphia Education Fund's Math + Science Coalition, and the Philadelphia Science Festival to power this initiative," notes Del Duke. "Public education budgets, especially in Philadelphia, are stretched.  FMC is providing a solution because our scientists remember the teachers who inspired them.  That's the important work science teachers do every day."

About FMC

FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC) is a diversified chemical company serving agricultural, industrial, environmental, and consumer markets globally for more than a century with innovative solutions, applications and quality products.  In 2012, FMC had annual sales of approximately $3.7 billion.  The company employs approximately 5,700 people throughout the world, and operates its businesses in three segments: Agricultural Products, Specialty Chemicals and Industrial Chemicals.  For more information, visit www.fmc.com.     

About the Philadelphia Science Festival

The Philadelphia Science Festival is a citywide collaboration April 18-28 showcasing the impact of science and technology past, present and future. Part of a national movement to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, the Festival builds on Philadelphia's own rich history of innovation with dozens of lectures, debates, hands-on activities, special exhibits and other informal learning experiences at museums, libraries and even street corners and concert halls. More than 105 institutions are collaborating to produce the Festival, which is funded in part by the National Science Foundation, presented by The Dow Chemical Company and organized by The Franklin Institute. To learn more, visit PhilaScienceFestival.org or call 215-448-1128.

SOURCE FMC Corporation