Sigma-aldrich Awards Grant to Girlstart

SUPPORTING ITS NATIONALLY-RECOGNIZED SUMMER CAMP AND AFTER-SCHOOL STEM PROGRAM

SIGMA-ALDRICH AWARDS GRANT TO GIRLSTART, SUPPORTING ITS NATIONALLY-RECOGNIZED SUMMER CAMP AND AFTER-SCHOOL STEM PROGRAM

(AUSTIN) – In order to help Girlstart in its mission to increase girls’ interest and engagement in STEM, Sigma-Aldrich today announced it is awarding Girlstart a $35,000 grant to support Girlstart’s innovative, nationally-recognized, informal STEM education programs.

The grant will help fund Girlstart’s summer camp and after school programs over the next year, including new programs for high-need Round Rock schools. Girlstart’s programs serve a diverse group of 4th through 8th grade girls in Central Texas as well as select communities throughout the United States via an ongoing summer camp initiative launched in 2011.

Girlstart’s programs have been recently recognized by Change the Equation and SEDL for their effectiveness in engaging girls in STEM education and improving their abilities in STEM-related subjects. Partnering with the likes of NASA, the National Science Foundation, and Google Science Fair, Girlstart continues to integrate technologies utilized by STEM professionals – including smartphone app developing, video editing software, 3-D printing, and video game design – in educating young women and addressing the gender gap currently existing in the nation’s STEM workforce.

“We’re honored to have Sigma-Aldrich’s support in bringing STEM education to our growing summer camp and after-school programs,” said Tamara Hudgins, executive director of Girlstart. “The grant from Sigma-Aldrich will help us meet the ongoing need we have to inspire students to pursue STEM studies, prepare for STEM careers, and develop the innovations that will continue to shape and improve our lives.”

“As a company that recognizes the value of science and the role it plays in our world, Sigma-Aldrich is thrilled to help Girlstart expand its programming,” said Jeffrey Whitford, Global Citizenship Manager at Sigma-Aldrich. “We look forward to an ongoing partnership and to engaging our employees with dynamic volunteer opportunities that help Girlstart participants connect the learning environment with real world challenges.”

For the upcoming school year, Girlstart will expand its school programs to 40 different Central Texas schools – nearly double the number offered just two years ago. Girlstart After School is an intensive intervention where Girlstart provides free STEM education programs every week throughout the school year at partner schools, as well as wraparound services to support STEM in each partner school. Girlstart After School involves sequential, informal, hands-on and inquiry-based activities across the STEM acronym.

Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company whose biochemical, organic chemical products, kits and services are used in scientific research, including genomic and proteomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, the diagnosis of disease and as key components in pharmaceutical, diagnostics and high technology manufacturing. Sigma-Aldrich customers include more than 1.3 million scientists and technologists in life science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals and industry. The Company operates in 35 countries and has nearly 9,000 employees whose objective is to provide excellent service worldwide. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to accelerating customer success through innovation and leadership in Life Science and High Technology.

More information on Sigma-Aldrich Global Citizenship is available at www.sialglobalcitizenship.com.