Communities

STEM Education

STEM education

As the world leader in serving science, we want to increase opportunities, especially for underserved populations, and ensure our future talent pipeline by stimulating young people’s interest in STEM. We deliver on this commitment through our investments in STEM partnerships and colleague involvement programs that support hands-on and inclusive learning activities.

 

Watch our colleagues in action as they inspire the next generation of innovators.

 

STEM partnerships

Our partners help us deliver on our commitment to inspire a new generation of innovators by making STEM education more accessible and equitable. These partnerships not only support students, but also provide our colleagues with rewarding volunteer opportunities. Learn more about how we collaborate with leading nonprofit partners who share our commitment.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge

The Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge is the US’ premier middle school STEM competition. The Junior Innovators Challenge, hosted by Society for Science, reaches more than 65,000 students annually through school, state and regional science fairs. The Challenge builds on our longstanding commitment to widespread and equitable access to STEM education through skills-based colleague engagement and a focus on outreach and equity programs—ensuring that students served, teachers reached and nominees converted to national competitors are more representative of the U.S. population. Learn more here.

Boys and Girls Club of America

Together, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Boys & Girls Clubs of America are enhancing and expanding STEM education programming and exposure across the Boys & Girls Clubs movement. Our longtime national partnership advances equity by connecting more youth with high-quality learning experiences that can inspire and propel them into thriving STEM careers. Learn more here.

China Women's Development Foundation

Her Science is a collaboration with the China Women’s Development Foundation to unleash the untapped potential of female innovators in China. The campus-based Her Science program connects female science majors with nurturing and innovative environments that support their academic development and encourage and enable their pursuit of STEM careers. To learn more about the program and how to get involved, visit the Her Science website or read the announcement issued by the China Women’s Development Foundation.

Signature STEM

Our colleagues bring our signature STEM education programs, which consist of internally developed science experiments and instruction guides, to young learners in their local communities. Experiments are designed to be accessible, incorporating everyday household items that don’t require special technical skills. This enables any volunteer to deliver these fun, hands-on activities that engage a child’s sense of wonder while highlighting our technologies, making connections to careers in STEM and demonstrating our commitment to the next generation.

 

These programs connect students and colleagues through hands-on and team-based activities that highlight our technologies, make connections to careers in STEM and demonstrate how our company impacts the world. Our programs: Innovation Nation, STEM Design Challenge, STEMcredible Kits, and Career Connections, are available to our colleagues to implement in their local communities around the world. These activities can be delivered through individual efforts or through team events planned through our Community Action Councils and Business Resource Groups.

Supporting STEM Education at home

 

We have customized several of our Innovation Nation activities to allow them to be conducted in the home environment. Take advantage of free Innovation Nation worksheets and instructional materials, which explain the science behind each activity and include discussion questions and connections to careers. To connect your community with Thermo Fisher volunteers, contact responsibility@thermofisher.com.

Innovation Nation

The Innovation Nation program provides our colleagues with presentations, lab materials, and instructions to guide students through a variety of hands-on and digital activities exploring concepts in life science, physics, chemistry, and computer science. Through this program, students learn about our technologies as well as the different types of careers found within our industry.

Career Connections

Our Career Connections program arms our colleagues with resources to partner with students and facilitates exercises ranging from mock interviews, résumé building, panel discussions, and career worksheets. These activities introduce students to different career paths while exploring the varied skills needed to succeed in today’s competitive world. 

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