East Bay STEM Career Awareness Day to Inspire Next Generation of Scientists and Innovators

BERKELEY, Calif. - April 25, 2017 - PRLog -- ·       WHAT - 300 high school students visit 15 leading STEM employers

·       WHEN - Thursday, April 27, 2017, 9.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m.

o   9.30 – 10.00a.m. - Opening remarks from Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín
and Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson

·       WHERE - Aquatic Park Center, 717 Potter Street, Berkeley, CA 94710

·       WHO - Bayer, Institute for STEM Education at CSUEB, Wareham Development, as well as Aduro Biotech, Avid Technology, Caribou Biosciences, Fantasy Studios and more …

On Thursday, April 27^th more than 300 students from high schools in Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, and Richmond will descend on West Berkeley to participate in the 6^th Annual East Bay STEM Career Awareness Day. Industry, academia, and local government have joined forces to inspire young people from under-served communities to pursue science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) majors at community and four-year colleges.

Each student will visit two work sites in West Berkeley and more than 100 STEM professionals will serve as career mentors for the day. Tours at 15 companies will provide participants with hands-on science and innovation activities – and the opportunity to imagine themselves in these exciting careers.

Organizers aim to help address the growing STEM workforce gap. While California ranks first in the nation in the total number of entry-level STEM positions available, the state is underperforming in the rate of bachelor's degree completions in popular STEM fields. California ranks 38^th in computer science and 37^th in engineering.

The East Bay STEM Career Awareness Day is designed to inspire high school students to pursue careers in STEM fields which boast strong job prospects and offer pay that is, on average, 26% more than non-STEM jobs.

Companies taking part include leading research enterprises like Bayer, Siemens, Aduro Biotech, Caribou Biosciences, Dynavax and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Businesses which combine art, technology and design are also participating: Avid Technologies, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley Mills and architecture firms Kava Massih, Noll & Tam, and WLC.

STEM Career Awareness Day springs from an original collaboration between Bayer and the City of Berkeley and has grown to include leadership from the Institute for STEM Education at CSU East Bay, Wareham Development, and the East Bay Economic Development Alliance. It is part of a larger regional effort to connect underserved youth with growing STEM workforce opportunities in the area.

Bayer is one of the largest biotech employers in the Bay Area and a leader in the research, development and manufacturing of specialty pharmaceutical therapies that improve human health. Bayer's presence on the U.S. West Coast includes a manufacturing and development facility in Berkeley and the West Coast Innovation Center in San Francisco Mission Bay. www.bayer.com

East Bay Economic Development Alliance (East Bay EDA) is the regional voice for strengthening our economy, building our workforce and enhancing our quality of life.  As a membership organization serving Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, East Bay EDA represents a broad network of business, government and civic leaders that connect communities and businesses to regional, state and national resources. www.EastBayEDA.org

Institute for STEM Education at California State University, East Bay advances STEM teaching and learning in alignment with the rapidly changing needs in STEM fields and aims to help all students acquire the STEM knowledge required for decision making in their daily lives. www.instituteforstemed.com

Wareham Development has helped to shape the Bay Area with real estate encompassing more than 4.5 million square feet of space with award-winning architecture, spectacular landscaping, and tenant-friendly amenities. They are committed to the economic and environmental vitality of the communities where they do business, and are dedicated to supporting students in neighboring districts. www.warehamdevelopment.com