Bayer Corporation today unveiled a new report titled, “STEM Education, Science Literacy and the Innovation Workforce in America: Analysis and Insights from the Bayer Facts of Science Education Surveys 1995-2011.” The report, the newest component of the company’s award-winning Making Science Make Sense® program, became available today at Bayer’s STEM Diversity and Higher Education Forum held in Washington. "STEM" stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The report is a compilation of 15 years of Bayer Facts of Science Education public opinion research surveys, which have taken the pulse of American attitudes about timely issues related to science and technology, science education and more recently STEM diversity and underrepresentation. The surveys have polled various audiences, including the nation’s Ph.D. scientists and science teachers; STEM department chairs at the country’s leading research universities; Fortune 1000 STEM company CEOs, corporate human resource directors and other business leaders; and deans of colleges and universities, as well as parents, students and the general public, among others.

“Taken together, the surveys offer an important snapshot of American public opinion on virtually every phase of the STEM continuum from elementary school through undergraduate/graduate education and the STEM workplace,” said Rebecca Lucore, Executive Director, Bayer USA Foundation, and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Bayer Corporation. “The new report identifies key intersections of thought, belief and concern among these diverse stakeholders and we believe the trends that have emerged are important and instructive for those working in the STEM arena.”

In mapping the nearly two decades of research, the report reveals 15 beliefs held universally by the stakeholders polled, including:

     #1: Science literacy is critical for all Americans young and old, scientist or non-scientist.

     #2: U.S. global economic leadership and competitiveness are intrinsically linked to a robust science and technology innovation pipeline and workforce.

     #3: America’s future STEM leadership is dependent on the country’s ability to recruit and retain more women, African-Americans, Hispanics and American Indians (underrepresented minorities) in STEM fields.

     #4: Science interest and ability are color-blind and gender-neutral: from an early age, boys and girls of all races and ethnic backgrounds are interested in science.

     #5: Parents and teachers are critically important to nurturing children’s science interest, even if they themselves are not scientists or don’t have all the answers.

     #6: In elementary school, science should be the “4th R” and given the same emphasis as reading, writing and mathematics.

     #7: A hands-on, minds-on approach to science education is the best way for students to learn science and build crucial science literacy skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving and the ability to work in teams.

     #8: Students and teachers benefit from having direct access to scientists and engineers on a regular basis in the classroom.

     #9: America’s leading research colleges and universities should rethink how they define academic success when it comes to undergraduate STEM students.

     #10: America’s STEM industries and communities need to more effectively communicate with all of today’s students about a range of issues including job opportunities and the fact that they are wanted and needed in these jobs.

To learn the remaining five beliefs and to access an online version of the full report, please visit http://bayerus.online-pressroom.com/index.cfm/events/stem-diversity-us-higher-education-forum-online-newsroom/.

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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. The company’s products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life.  The Corporation is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its role as a socially and ethically responsible corporate citizen. Economy, ecology and social responsibility are corporate policy objectives of equal rank. In North America, Bayer had 2011 net sales of EUR 8,177 million ($11,366 million) and employed 15,800 at year-end. For more information, go to www.bayerus.com.

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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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