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Global Bayer Foundations Create International High School Climate Change Camp

Global Bayer Foundations Create International High School Climate Change Camp

Published 07-08-08

Submitted by Bayer

PITTSBURGH,PA. - July 8, 2008 - An international summer science camp for high-school students that centers on environmental education has been created by Bayer Corporation in partnership with RiverQuest and Creek Connections of Allegheny College.

The Bayer Climate Fellows Sustainability Camp, based in Western Pennsylvania, is an innovative, two-week residential camp (July 11 "“ 25) that will provide eight students from Germany and the United States with hands-on group learning about environmental, sustainability and global climate change through rural- and urban-river experiences that are fun, academically challenging and physically engaging.

The new camp "“ funded by the Bayer USA Foundation and the Bayer Science and Education Foundation, two of Bayer's three global foundations "“ is an outgrowth of the recently launched Bayer Climate Program. With this program, the company is working to reduce its "climate footprint" and develop sustainable solutions, including investing approximately $1.5 billion between 2008 and 2010 in climate-related research and projects.

"Climate change is one of the biggest challenges the world faces today, and we at Bayer can be instrumental in providing solutions through our products and our know-how," said Dr. Attila Molnar, President and CEO of Bayer Corporation and President of the Bayer USA Foundation. "At Bayer, our commitment to sustainability, science education and corporate social responsibility has us on a constant mission to not only reduce our own impact and greenhouse gas emissions, but also to create educational opportunities for today's students so they may grow into their roles as the environmental stewards of tomorrow. The Bayer Climate Fellows Sustainability Camp is the latest manifestation of our commitment."

The camp is facilitated by RiverQuest in Pittsburgh and is being delivered through a new partnership with Creek Connections of Allegheny College. Both education-based, nonprofit organizations are dedicated to exploring the environment through the lens of Western Pennsylvania's freshwater ecosystems.

During the first week, the students will participate in Creek Camp, a new summer initiative of Creek Connections at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. Creek Camp transforms waterways in Northwest Pennsylvania, Southwest New York and the Pittsburgh area into outdoor environmental laboratories. Students will spend their days in a hands-on, inquiry-based study of biology, freshwater ecology and sustainability.

RiverQuest will host the students the second week. Based in Pittsburgh, RiverQuest operates a river learning center for students, teachers and the community of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Its experiential programs link classroom theory to real-world applications, improve critical thinking and cooperative learning, and instill an understanding and appreciation for the region's waterways.

"Rivers are an enormous gold mine in terms of teaching us about climate change," said Karl Thomas, RiverQuest Executive Director. "Like the proverbial 'canary in the coal mine,' they're harbingers of what is happening in the environment. Changes in the native fish population, the flora and the water itself can tell us a lot if we're willing to listen."

At RiverQuest, students will board the environmental learning vessel, Discovery, for a series of green science excursions and experiments and will explore sustainability issues at Duquesne University.

In addition, experts from Bayer MaterialScience and Bayer CropScience will contribute to the curriculum and be on hand to serve as guest speakers on the latest in green-building construction and sustainable-farming techniques, two areas these Bayer businesses are pioneering.

About Bayer USA Foundation
The Bayer USA Foundation is an endowed 501(c)(3) entity and is the primary source of Bayer Corporation’s philanthropy in the United States. With a programmatic focus on the environment and sustainability; education and workforce development; arts and culture; and health and human services, the foundation creates and supports organizations that improve communities in which Bayer employees live and work, as well as society at large. The Bayer USA Foundation is one of three Bayer foundations worldwide, including the Bayer Science & Education Foundation and the Bayer Cares Foundation.

About Bayer Corporation
Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is a subsidiary of Bayer AG, an international health care, nutrition and high-tech materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. In North America, Bayer had 2007 net sales of 8.1 billion euros and employed 16,800 at year end. Bayer’s three subgroups, Bayer HealthCare, Bayer CropScience and Bayer MaterialScience, improve people’s lives through a broad range of essential products that help diagnose, prevent and treat diseases; protect crops and enhance yields; and advance automobile safety and durability.

About RiverQuest
RiverQuest, formerly Pittsburgh Voyager, is an award-winning not-for-profit education organization offering river-based educational programs for students, teachers, and the community. RiverQuest also provides a range of public programs, including interpretive cruises and private charters for businesses, organizations and the public. RiverQuest operates a small fleet of laboratory vessels, docked on the North Shore adjacent to downtown Pittsburgh, PA.

RiverQuest's mission is to connect people to their environment through river education adventures programs. Since launching programs in 1995, RiverQuest has served nearly 80,000 individuals through on-board education programming. More than 64,000 elementary, middle and high school students representing 239 schools from 66 school districts in 11 Western Pennsylvania counties have participated in standards-based learning programs, with themes ranging from environmental science and regional history to physical science and mathematics. Along with students, more than 2,500 teachers and college students and 17,000 members of the general public have participated in RiverQuest programs. For more information, visit www.RiverQuest.org.

About Creek Connections
Creek Connections has forged an effective partnership between Allegheny College and regional K-12 schools to turn waterways in Northwest Pennsylvania, Southwest New York, and the Pittsburgh area into outdoor environmental laboratories. Emphasizing a hands-on, inquiry based investigation of local waterways, this project annually involves over 40 different schools and the classes of 50 teachers. In the past year, Creek Connections has established branches at the Catamount Institute in Colorado Springs and at the Green Valley School in Atenas, Costa Rica.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our annual and interim reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

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Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2015, the Group employed around 117,000 people and had sales of EUR 46.3 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.6 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.3billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

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