Junior Achievement of the Heartland has received a $10,000 grant from Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer in the U.S.
The funding will go toward building a better future by providing fourth through sixth grade students with the opportunity to explore STEM careers through the Bayer Agricultural Center at JA BizTown.
Students from across eastern Iowa and western Illinois will participate in hands-on learning activities that allow them to explore agriculture careers and the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) skills needed to succeed in these jobs.
“We are grateful for the Bayer Fund for believing in the boundless opportunities for our students,” Dougal Nelson, president and CEO of JA of the Heartland, based in Moline, said in a news release.
“This grant will provide funding to enrich the student experience and build upon learning outside of the classroom,” he added. “Bayer Fund is helping to provide a platform where students can absorb life lessons in an immersive, experiential learning environment.”
In Bayer Fund and Junior Achievement’s mutual goal of seeing its communities flourish, this grant will support the organization by allowing them to provide the space for students to participate in hands-on learning activities to explore agriculture careers.
Program evaluations demonstrate the impactful learning experience provided by the Bayer Agriculture Center at JA BizTown:
- 76% of students demonstrated increased knowledge in identifying STEM-related careers in the agriculture industry.
- 92% of teachers and volunteers agreed students were introduced to new career possibilities.
- 97% of teachers and volunteers agreed that students better understood the importance of agriculture after participation.
Bayer Fund supports Bayer’s (one of the country’s largest life-sciences companies) vision of Health for All, Hunger for None by working with organizations and non-profits, such as Junior Achievement, to deliver on shared goals and overall strengthen our country’s communities.
“Through Bayer Fund’s giving, we’re enabling and strengthening organizations that are working to make real, sustainable impacts in their local communities across the United States,” Al Mitchell, president of Bayer Fund, said in the release. “Organizations like Junior Achievement inspire future generations for careers in the high-demand STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field, and we’re proud to provide our support.”
In 2022, Bayer Fund awarded more than $13.4 million to more than 2,700 charitable and nonprofit organizations to help address essential needs in food and nutrition, STEM education and health & wellness. Since 2017, nonprofit organizations across the U.S. have received nearly $90 million.
To learn more about Junior Achievement of the Heartland, visit jaheartland.org.
