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Pittsburgh STEM Summit 2007: Enhancing Education Now for Pittsburgh'sBusiness Future will showcase for regional STEM industry executives a numberof model business-education partnerships, as well as best practice nationaland regional STEM education programs that are helping to foster the nextgeneration STEM workforce in southwestern Pennsylvania.
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"The Pittsburgh Technology Council is extremely pleased to be a partnerwith Bayer in the STEM Summit. As a company that has long been involved inhelping to strengthen STEM education in the United States, Bayer understandsthat if education, industry and government unite to take action now, we canreverse the impending workforce shortage in STEM careers," said KristaPaternostro, acting president of the Council. "At this first event of its kindin the region, business leaders will be able to influence regional growth bygetting involved and helping educators inspire today's students to pursue STEMcareers."
Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell is slated to speak in the morning,following opening keynote speaker Dr. Mae C. Jemison. Dr. Jemison is thenation's first African-American female astronaut and has served as nationalscience literacy spokesperson for Bayer's companywide Making Science MakeSense(R) initiative for a dozen years.
Governor Rendell will discuss Pennsylvania's Science: It's Elementaryinitiative, which is currently rolling out the Bayer-spearheaded andPittsburgh-based ASSET science education reform program to elementary schoolsthroughout the state. Dr. Jemison will echo themes she addressed last fall --the importance of science literacy and STEM education reform, as well as theneed to build a more diverse STEM workforce both in the region and in thecountry.
"Whether a company, community, region or the country, innovation is at theheart of what keeps us competitive. What drives innovation is a world-classSTEM workforce that is equipped with requisite skills, knowledge and ingenuityfor success in today's global marketplace," said Dr. Attila Molnar, Presidentand CEO, Bayer Corporation. "With competition exploding around the world, weneed to engage today's students in STEM, including girls and underrepresentedminorities, as never before. That is why Bayer, as part of our "Science For ABetter Life" mission, is pleased to sponsor this conference which aims toprovide greater numbers of students with quality STEM education."
While the 2006 Bayer forum showcased K-12 STEM education programs that aresuccessfully closing achievement gaps between male and female, and majorityand minority students, the Pittsburgh STEM Summit will take a broaderapproach, presenting programs that are designed to help all students achievein STEM subjects, including:
The summit also will feature panels with model business-educationpartnerships, such as Bayer-ASSET, the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse,the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Robert Morris University, CaliforniaUniversity of Pennsylvania, PPG Industries, Del Monte Foods, HamillManufacturing, H.B. Maynard, Echo Strategies, Carnegie Science Center, SouthPark School District, West Jefferson School District and the AlleghenyConference on Community Development.
"As a company that has long been committed to supporting quality STEMeducation around the country, we certainly hope this event will spur othercompanies in our region -- large, medium and small -- to recognize theirsocial responsibility when it comes to improving education and to get involvedby helpi
