Making Science Make Sense

Our Programs

Making Science Make Sense is an award-winning program that supports the work of company volunteers and promotes the importance of science literacy through a national public education campaign. Program components include:

Hands-On, Inquiry-Based Science Programs and Employee Volunteers — More than 1,000 Bayer volunteers expose hundreds of thousands of students and thousands of teachers to hands-on, inquiry-based science in classrooms and extra-curricular programs. Example programs include: hands-on experiment demonstrations; environmental learning programs; science fair judging; science career days, expos and festivals; and speaker's bureaus.

Science Education Reform Programs — Bayer has spearheaded seven science education reform programs (Kansas City, Mo., Bushy Park, S.C.; Clayton, N.C.; Elkhart, Ind.; New Martinsville, W.Va.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; and West Haven, Conn.) that are changing the way science is taught and learned in grades K-8. These reform initiatives are based on the five elements of exemplary science programs identified by the National Science Resources Center (NSRC) — hands-on materials, centralized materials support, teacher training, assessment and community support.

For example, in 1992 in Pittsburgh, Bayer spearheaded ASSET Inc., an independent, non-profit organization that implements standards-based systemic hands-on, inquiry-based science education reform. Starting with five schools in two districts, today ASSET serves 48 school districts, charter and private schools, directly impacting the teaching and learning process of 3,000 teachers and 125,000 students in 5,000 classrooms in four western Pennsylvania counties. Much of that growth was a result of ASSET's garnering two multi-million dollar National Science Foundation grants. Recently, University of Pittsburgh researchers conducted performance evaluations of ASSET students using questions from the 1995 Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS). They found that ASSET students are performing almost the same as Japan, which ranked just behind top-rated Singapore and Korea; ahead of England, Hungary, Czech Republic and Canada; and significantly outperforming their U.S. counterparts. In July 2006, ASSET received $10 million dollars in Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell's education budget to begin the immediate rollout of its program statewide, with 78 schools in 36 counties across the state coming on board at the start of the 2006-2007 school year.

Biotech Partners — Founded in 1993 as part of a 30-year Development Agreement between Bayer and the City of Berkeley, Biotech Partners is a nationally recognized model non-profit organization that connects youth to the world of biotechnology. It provides a comprehensive, hands-on, bioscience education and job training program for populations underrepresented in the sciences — especially students of color (97 percent), young women (54 percent) and those from low-income households. Today, Biotech Partners' work has impacted more than 700 students and involves more than 35 corporate, government, education and health care partners.

Partnerships, Sponsorships and Special Grants — Bayer has forged long-standing, deep-rooted partnerships with the National Science Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, Points of Light Foundation and the National Science Resources Center. In addition, as Bayer spearheads important curriculum change in a number of its site community schools, it has created partnerships with school districts, science centers and other businesses, government and education organizations.

Bayer Facts of Science Education Survey Series — Each year since 1995, Bayer, along with its partners, the National Science Foundation and the National Science Teachers Association, has commissioned public opinion research designed to gauge the state of science education in America. To date, audiences polled have included CEOs of some of the nation's fastest-growing science and technology companies (2006); parents of girls and boys ages 5-18 (2005); new elementary school teachers and deans of the nation's schools of education (2004); the general public (2003, 2000); U.S. college students (2002); new workforce employees and their managers (2001); the nation's K-12 science teachers (1999); the nation's Ph.D. scientists (1998); students age 10-17 (1997); elementary school principals and human resources directors (1996); and parents and teachers of elementary school children (1995).

Bayer Tours with Dr. Mae C. Jemison, astronaut, physician, chemical engineer, scientist, educator and Bayer science literacy advocate — Dr. Jemison visits Bayer site communities and other major cities to highlight the importance of science literacy and science education reform.

Planting the Seeds for a Diverse U.S. STEM Pipeline: A Compendium of Best Practice K-12 STEM Education Programs — A new resource for businesses and organizations, this compendium features a sampling of some of the country's exemplary programs that have a proven track record of helping students - especially girls and underrepresented minorities - to achieve and participate in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Its purpose is to raise awareness among STEM industry executives and other organizations and to showcase for them successful programs they may want to support and/or replicate in their local communities.

Bayer's Making Science Make Sense Experiment Guide and Experiment Book — Answering questions such as, "Why do birds fly south for the winter?," "What is blood pressure?" and "How does a fire extinguisher work?," these guides contain experiments that parents and teachers can conduct with children and tips on how to share everyday science with them.

C.A.U.S.E. Challenge™ by Bayer Corporation Film Festival — A new pilot program in Pittsburgh in partnership with Sci Tech Spectacular and Pittsburgh Filmmakers, this environmental documentary filmmaking competition invites high school students to write, produce and edit a video or film, five minutes or less, on the theme "Mutual Impact: The Environment and You."

Bayer Corporation Web Site — For the results of our surveys, an interactive periodic table of elements or to subscribe to the MSMS E-News Update, visit us online at www.BayerUS.com/MSMS.

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Please Note: In-classroom programs and Bayer employee-volunteers are available only to children and teachers in grades K-12 that are located in Bayer site communities. Experiment guides and periodic tables are available to all U.S. elementary, intermediate and high schools.