SCI Receives $10,000 Grant from Bayer Fund
Donation will help students develop 21st Century employment skills
- Monday June 28, 2021
The Science Center of Iowa (SCI) announced today that it received a grant for $10,000 from Bayer Fund, which will be used to in the creation of Making Tech Connections, a professional development program that equips teachers with tools to help their students develop 21st Century employment skills in computing, algorithms and programming
"Teachers have been asking for new activities related to technology that would help prepare their students for new and emerging job opportunities," said Renee Harmon, SCI’s Vice President of Science Learning.
"This grant will not only provide support to our organization but also the community we serve by allowing us to develop training that provides teachers with materials, tools and a curriculum that will engage their students in high-tech and low-tech learning principles."
Making Tech Connections also will show educators how to incorporate liberal arts competencies into STEM education while growing their own confidence with computational thinking. Program activities will help students to think critically, imaginatively frame questions and consider multiple perspectives.
"Throughout the years, the grants given through Bayer Fund have helped strengthen our communities across the United States," said Al Mitchell, President of Bayer Fund. "We’re proud to be able to provide support to develop programs that help combat challenges such as food insecurity, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and support services to patients and families managing an illness or disease."
In 2020, Bayer Fund awarded more than $17 million to more than 3,400 charitable and nonprofit organizations to help address essential needs in food and nutrition, STEM education and community development. Over the last five years, nonprofit organizations across the U.S. have received more than $80 million. `
To learn more about the Science Center of Iowa, visit www.sciowa.org.
To learn more about Bayer Fund, visit www.fund.bayer.us.
About the Science Center of Iowa
The Science Center of Iowa engages and inspires Iowans along their journey of lifelong science learning. The 110,000-sq. ft. facility located in Downtown Des Moines features dynamic experience platforms, large format theaters and daily interactive science demonstrations. Through daily visitors, a statewide educational outreach programs and the NAEYC-accredited SCI Preschool, the Science Center of Iowa serves more than 300,000 people annually.
About Bayer Fund
Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where Bayer customers and employees live and work by providing funding for food and nutrition, education and community development projects.