Bayer USA Foundation Awards $540,000 to California State University East Bay

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Emeryville, CA - March 2, 2011 - The Bayer USA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bayer Corporation, will provide a $540,000 grant to California State University, East Bay (CSUEB) to create the Center for STEM Education on its Hayward campus.

The groundbreaking center will enhance and help to coordinate existing STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education activities at CSUEB in order to give the university a greater role in regional and national STEM education issues. The center is at the heart of CSUEB's approach to addressing regional needs and challenges in STEM education and preparing graduates for the Bay Area's workforce of tomorrow.
 

The new grant, to be administered over three years, will establish the Bayer Executive Directorship for the center and allow the school to begin teacher development in STEM education and to advance student academic achievement. The center will become the focal point of region-wide efforts to build on and expand sustainable models like Biotech Partners and MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement), two leading education and job training programs. It also will expand a pipeline of K-12 students motivated and prepared to pursue college degrees in STEM disciplines or math and science teacher education.
  This latest grant underscores Bayer’s ongoing commitment to strengthen STEM education and diversity nationwide. Bayer demonstrates this commitment through its Presidential-award winning Making Science Make Sense® initiative that advances science literacy across the United States through hands-on, inquiry-based science learning, employee volunteerism and public education led by astronaut, scientist and educator, Dr. Mae C. Jemison.
  “With this grant, Bayer is deepening its investment in STEM education in an area of the country that is of major importance to our biotechnology business and the company as a whole,” said Greg Babe, President and CEO of Bayer Corporation and President of the Bayer USA Foundation. “As a company with a rich history in science education and science literacy, we understand the need for the new Center for STEM Education, which will help to enhance this vibrant STEM education and professional community.”
  The center will focus on four key areas: ongoing K-12 teacher support and training programs; active student recruitment from local and regional high schools; creation of a STEM education resource center that will work to scale up best practice K-12 programs; and the formation of an administrative hub for university STEM education collaborations and partnerships with outside organizations.
  “We are enormously grateful to Bayer for this grant,” said Dr. Mohammad Qayoumi, President of CSUEB. “When it comes to improving STEM education, the Center will be able to work on multiple tracks to really effect change. For example, we know training more K-12 science and math teachers for California is as important as preparing and recruiting STEM students from underserved urban schools.  Having a place where stakeholders like Bayer scientists and elementary school teachers can come to interact and learn about new resources and partnership opportunities is an important new resource."
  “Biotech Partners, which has become a national model for successful education-business-government partnership, is a jewel in Bayer’s Making Science Make Sense crown,” said Joerg Heidrich, Senior Vice President and Global Head, Product Supply, Biotech. “For almost two decades, it has served more than 2,000 disadvantaged local students, training them for meaningful careers in the biosciences industry. It helps create a workforce that is essential to the Bay Area biotech community.  We’re delighted that the expansion of programs such as Biotech Partners will become one of the center’s priority projects, helping it give a leg up to even more students.”  
  "California has long been synonymous with scientific innovation, yet K-12 students here are underperforming on standardized tests in STEM fields," said Tom Torlakson, California Superintendent of Public Instruction. "The new STEM center at CSUEB will be critical to helping us improve curriculum, provide teachers with training, and support underrepresented student populations.”     About California State University, East Bay California State University, East Bay is the San Francisco East Bay Area's high-access public university of choice. CSUEB serves the region with campuses in Hayward and Concord, a professional development center in Oakland, and an innovative online campus. With an enrollment of almost 13,000, the University offers a nationally recognized freshman year experience, award-winning curriculum, personalized instruction, and expert faculty. Students choose from among more than 100 professionally focused fields of study for which the University confers bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as an Ed.D. in education. Named a "Best in the West" college, as well as a Best Business School, by the influential Princeton Review, Cal State East Bay is among the region's foremost producers of teachers, business professionals and entrepreneurs, public administrators, health professionals, literary and performing artists, and science and math graduates.   About Bayer USA Foundation The Bayer USA Foundation is an endowed 501(c)(3) entity and is the primary source of Bayer Corporation’s philanthropy in the United States.  With a programmatic focus on the environment and sustainability; education and workforce development; arts and culture; and health and human services, the foundation creates and supports organizations that improve communities in which Bayer employees live and work, as well as society at large.  The Bayer USA Foundation is one of three Bayer foundations worldwide, including the Bayer Science & Education Foundation and the Bayer Cares Foundation.   About Bayer Corporation 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. 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 2010 net sales of EUR 8,228 million ($10,861 million) and employed 16,400 at year-end. For more information, go to www.bayerus.com.   For Social Media Users: Twitter: twitter.com/BayerUSNews or twitter.com/BayerMSMS YouTube: youtube.com/BayerChannel   Forward-Looking Statements 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.   BAYER12150