According to the Nation’s Report Card™, only 29 percent of U.S. fourth-grade students, 29 percent of eighth-graders and 18 percent of 12th-graders performed at or above the proficient level in science.1 Just 39 percent of fourth-graders and 32 percent of eighth-graders performed at or above the proficient level in math.2
As a science- and technology-based company, Baxter has a responsibility to help ensure that current students as well as future generations have every opportunity to learn and be inspired by math and science. In 2008, the company initiated its first formal effort in advancing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education by unveiling a program aimed at students and teachers in the Chicago area, where Baxter is headquartered.
Baxter launched Science@Work: Expanding Minds with Real-World Science in October 2008. This five-year commitment to the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) will provide funding and hands-on experience with Baxter employees who volunteer to train teachers and encourage students to explore biotechnology. During that time, Science@Work is expected to reach up to 90 percent of CPS biology teachers (about 450) and more than 65 percent of current CPS high school students (nearly 75,000). The initiative introduced its teacher training modules in Fall 2008, and the first 91 teachers will receive biotechnology training by the end of the 2008-2009 academic year
As part of Science@Work, Baxter partnered with Lindblom Math and Science Academy in Chicago’s underserved Englewood community to establish the school’s Biotechnology Center of Excellence. The Center will train CPS science teachers on how to incorporate biotechnology into their classrooms, and will teach Lindblom students biotechnology fundamentals. Baxter will also support the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Instructional Development System Program, which offers professional development in biotechnology to teachers at participating Chicago schools.
Additionally, through Science@Work, Baxter will partner with Noble Street Network and Instituto del Progreso Latino to take an active role in opening two new public schools as part of Chicago's Renaissance 2010 initiative, designed to create 100 new public schools of exceptional quality in underserved communities by 2010.
Baxter employee volunteers also share their passion for science with CPS students through classroom visits and field trips to Baxter facilities. In 2008, more than 60 students visited Baxter to talk with scientists about their jobs. Baxter will measure the success of these programs for the next several years and will assess how to best share the company's experience with other key audiences.
Additionally, through Junior Achievement, America's largest and oldest financial literacy organization, Baxter volunteers teach students ages 6 to 18 the basics of free enterprise to help them succeed in the global economy. Baxter is also a founding sponsor of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), which, among other activities, helps students design and build robots.
Moreover, Baxter has traditionally supported education through programs such as The Baxter International Foundation’s employee Matching Gift and Dollars for Doers programs, and through volunteer efforts by facilities and employees. In 2008, Baxter employees devoted more than 140,000 volunteer hours to a variety of organizations, a portion of which supported education initiatives worldwide.
2015 GOAL
- Facilitate learning of math and science through biotechnology education for Chicago Public Schools teachers and students, and partner with other educational organizations to provide similar opportunities in other locations.
"Chicago Public Schools teachers are hungry for more contact with working scientists. Baxter’s Science@Work program has the potential to help fill this need by getting employee volunteers involved in education projects throughout CPS."
Associate, Research and Evaluation, Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education University of Chicago
As part of Science@Work, students from Lindblom Math and Science Academy worked on a problem-based learning project. The students learned about the digestive and excretory systems, how diabetes and insulin relate to kidney failure, and why dialysis is important. They then used their knowledge to redesign a prototype of Baxter International's peritoneal dialysis equipment for pediatric patients, and presented a proposed solution to juvenile diabetes.
1 The Nation’s Report Card™ is published by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The NAEP 2005 assessment in science was administered from January to March 2005. The organization's next science assessment will be administered from January to March 2009 and results will be reported in the spring of 2010.
2 The NAEP 2007 assessment in mathematics was administered from January to March 2007. The organization's next mathematics assessment will be administered from January to March 2009 and results will be reported for grades four and eight in the fall of 2009.
