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Bayer’s STEM Education Diversity Initiatives

Building a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education pipeline has never been more critical. Among the challenges the United States faces today is the dwindling number of scientists and engineers we produce at a time when we also face increasing competition for this talent from other countries. At the same time, there exists in this country a vast untapped talent pool in those Americans who traditionally have been underrepresented in STEM fields — women, African-Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans.

Developing this talent pool takes on even greater urgency in light of shifting demographics that show that, in the very near future, we will rely increasingly on this talent pool to make the discoveries, advances and innovations that have and continue to keep the United States the world's scientific and technological leader.

As a company that has long embraced its corporate responsibility to strengthen STEM education in the United States, we at Bayer are also keenly aware of the critical need to develop a more diverse STEM pipeline and workforce. We also know that exemplary education programs exist that are closing the diversity gap in STEM subjects and that businesses can engage successfully in partnerships with these programs to help them grow.

Corporate America has a significant role to play here. In fact, our 2006 Bayer Facts of Science Education survey revealed that many CEOs of some of the fastest-growing U.S. science and technology companies acknowledge their responsibility to help improve STEM education, with many saying they want to get involved supporting such programs.

To assist STEM companies and others in these efforts, Bayer Corporation has and continues to undertake STEM education diversity initiatives as part of our national award-winning corporate social responsibility program, Making Science Make Sense®. They include:

• hosting STEM Education Diversity Forums to showcase a number of best practice K-12 programs that have a proven track record of helping girls and underrepresented minorities achieve in STEM. The next forum will be held in San Francisco on Thursday, December 11, 2008.
• publishing a companion guide titled Planting the Seeds for a Diverse U.S. STEM Pipeline: A Compendium of Best Practice K-12 STEM Education Programs.
• issuing a Highlights Report that synthesizes the major findings and ideas that emerged during Bayer’s first forum held in 2006.

Whether you are presently involved in a business-education partnership, just getting started or simply considering the idea, we hope these resources prove valuable. Bayer also is interested in your feedback and invites you to share your thoughts and experiences with us at BayerCSR@bayer.com.