As a science- and technology-based healthcare company, Baxter has a responsibility and need to ensure that current students as well as future generations have the opportunity to learn and be inspired by math and science. Baxter’s commitment to education focuses on enhancing local math and science education programs to prepare students for scientific careers. The United States is particularly challenged with improving its math and science curriculum in its schools, and as a Chicago-based company, Baxter decided to focus its involvement in the Chicago Public School system.

In 2008, Baxter launched Science@Work: Expanding Minds with Real-World Science, a multi-year commitment to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to support teacher training and student development in healthcare and biotechnology. The program is the largest corporate donation to biotechnology education in CPS history.

In the 2009-2010 school year, the program reached more than 32,000 students and nearly 300 teachers in 150 schools. Baxter hosted 22 events for teachers and students including lab tours, lectures, career days and problem-based learning projects, including an experiment to help students understand how easily bacteria are transferred from humans to objects.

In 2010, Science@Work achieved a milestone with the opening of Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy (IHSCA), a new Chicago high school dedicated to preparing students for healthcare careers. The institution, which will serve 600 students when fully enrolled, focuses on providing Latinos with education and preparation to pursue professions that meet the nation's healthcare needs. In 2010, Baxter also continued its work with the Lindblom Math and Science Academy's Biotechnology Center of Excellence and the Illinois Institute of Technology Instructional Development Program to provide in-depth biotechnology teacher training and lesson plans to 90 CPS high school teachers.

In addition to the direct benefit that Baxter's investment in the CPS system provides for teachers and students, this initiative provides a substantial way for Baxter employees to engage with diverse students and bring sustainability to life in the classrooms. In addition to the biotechnology curriculum, Baxter employees have taught students about clean water and other environmental topics, connecting math and science to real life environmental challenges. From Baxter's inclusion and talent recruiting perspective, this initiative also provides a longer-term view to creating a pipeline of talented young people who may be interested in Baxter careers in the future.

Other STEM Education Initiatives

Junior Achievement

Baxter supports Junior Achievement, a global organization that teaches students the fundamentals of the free market and entrepreneurship throughout the United States and in 122 countries around the world. In 2010, 401 Baxter volunteers, including the company's senior leaders, spent nearly 1,600 hours teaching financial literacy to almost 8,500 students ages 6 to 15 in classrooms around the world.

FIRST Robotics

As a founding member of US FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics in 1992, Baxter continues a long-standing commitment to the organization. This mentor-based engineering competition inspires thousands of students across the country to design and build robots that engage in sports-like activities. Baxter's Mountain Home, Arkansas, United States team has won numerous awards in both national and regional competitions.

Education Advantage

In 2010, Baxter continued its sponsorship of Education Advantage, a scholarship program to promote career development and encourage proactive health management and community involvement among people with hemophilia A, including those with inhibitors, or antibodies against clotting factor. The program, developed with input from the hemophilia community, provides academic scholarships and resources for career development, healthy lifestyles and community involvement, tailored to patients’ needs. Education Advantage, open to all students with hemophilia A, provides high school General Educational Development (GED) reimbursement, community and technical college need-based scholarships up to $2,500 and university need-based scholarships up to $15,000. Strong applicants who do not qualify for need-based aid may still be eligible for merit-based scholarships of $1,000 per year.

Education Advantage is supported by Baxter and independently administered by Scholarship America. Scholarship America, the nation’s leading nonprofit scholarship program administrator, is solely responsible for reviewing all scholarship applications, determining eligibility and financial need and selecting scholarship recipients. Once accepted, scholarship recipients are required to participate in ongoing community service and attend regular comprehensive health exams. In 2010, Baxter awarded 33 Education Advantage program scholarships, totaling $160,000.