Science educationRaytheon expanding its commitment to math and science education

Published 7 October 2011

Raytheon Company said it is expanding its commitment to math and science education through a $1 million gift that will help extend the national impact of the Museum of Science, Boston’s Engineering is Elementary (EiE) program; in the past five years, Raytheon has committed more than $60 million to MathMovesU, STEM and education programs

Raytheon Company said it is expanding its commitment to math and science education through a $1 million gift that will help extend the national impact of the Museum of Science, Boston’s Engineering is Elementary (EiE) program.

The latest gift from Raytheon, part of the company’s MathMovesU initiative, will support the training of elementary school teachers implementing the EiE program’s successful engineering and technology curriculum. The funds are designated to expand EiE training hubs beyond Boston, establishing new professional development centers in Washington, D.C., Phoenix, Arizona, and Huntsville, Alabama, in order to facilitate the adoption of EiE by more classrooms throughout the country. To date, teachers have mainly relied upon the Museum of Science’s Boston-based staff and some existing local infrastructure for training and development associated with the program.

A Raytheon release reports that The research-based, standards-driven EiE program integrates the basic concepts and skills of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the form of a classroom-proven curriculum that has already reached more than 27,000 teachers and 2.5 million students in the United States.

“By helping teachers bring the basic concepts of engineering and technology to life, they will be able to excite future generations of students to become the innovators of tomorrow,” said Raytheon Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson. “We share the Museum of Science’s desire to accelerate the adoption of its Engineering is Elementary program, and to support teachers throughout the nation who are committed to instilling a passion for STEM among America’s young students.”

The company notes that elementary schools commonly lack compelling activities and reliable materials for fostering literacy among students in the “E” and “T” of STEM education. The Engineering is Elementary program is designed to fill that gap.

“EiE enables teachers to connect the dots between traditional math and science education and the enjoyment of building things that is shared by younger students,” said Museum of Science, Boston’s president and director Ioannis (Yannis) N. Miaoulis. “Raytheon keenly understands the strategic imperative of cultivating interest in STEM subject matter starting in the elementary school years. The company’s gift will act as a catalyst for us to build the local infrastructure — the support for tools and workshops in EiE that will educate the teachers who train other teachers — creating literally thousands of elementary engineering teachers nationwide.”

Raytheon is the Museum of Science, Boston’s longest active corporate supporter with a relationship dating to 1953.

The company’s investment builds upon its recent commitment to provide more than $1 million in education scholarships and grants for the 2011-2012 school year. In the past five years, Raytheon has committed more than $60 million to MathMovesU, STEM and education programs.