BGCSTC and Thermo Fisher’s partnership is advancing our community’s next generation of STEM leaders

ST.CHARLES, MO – July 15th, 2022 As the demand for professionals in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) continues to grow at a remarkable pace, Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, has strengthened its longtime commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America with a renewed partnership to enhance and expand STEM education programming and exposure across Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide.

Thermo Fisher’s partnership supports more than 30 Clubs nationwide via grants, STEM kits, and continued investment in Boys & Girls Clubs’ DIY STEM curriculum. DIY STEM addresses the critical need to bring classroom STEM themes to life through informal exposure. Going forward, Thermo Fisher Scientific will develop and support new virtual content, events, and competitions for DIY STEM on MyFuture, fueling virtual experiences that spark STEM career excitement and connecting youth to diverse professionals with similar identities and relevant careers experiences.

Through the expanded partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific will also invest in Club staff development through support for Boys & Girls Clubs’ STEM training pathways, all of which underpin the company’s belief that access to STEM education drives economic and social opportunity.

“Connecting underserved populations to high-quality STEM education empowers us to build a future workforce that more fully represents our society and better positions us to solve the world’s most complex problems,” said Paul Parker, senior vice president, strategy and corporate development for Thermo Fisher Scientific. “By expanding our longtime partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs, a leader in Thermo Fisher Scientific Partnership Toolkit22 developing globally competitive graduates, we can address a wider variety of obstacles to STEM education equity and propel more underserved youth into thriving STEM careers.”

In the United States, Black and Latinx workers make up 11 and 16 percent of the overall U.S. workforce, respectively; but hold only five and eight percent of engineering jobs. Women, who account for nearly half of the overall workforce, hold only 14 percent of engineering jobs. Boys & Girls Clubs’ STEM education training pathways address these gaps by providing a series of modules and targeted resources to help staff build essential STEM knowledge, habits, and activity facilitation skills. STEM training pathways are aligned with youth development priorities to ensure high-quality, age-appropriate, and culturally relevant programming for all Club members—82 percent of whom express interest in learning more about science, computers, and technology.

To learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Thermo Fisher’s partnership, please visit: Thermo Fisher Scientific (bgca.org)