SC Johnson Supports STEM Funding, Literacy and Tomorrow’s Innovators

When your goal is to make the world a better place with products that make life cleaner, healthier and better, science is a fundamental part of your business. At SC Johnson, chemists, engineers, technicians, toxicologists, information scientists, systems engineers, programmers, accountants, analysts and others collaborate every day to bring our business to life.   

 

So, we believe the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics – known as STEM – are vital to the success of our company and the communities where we work. And that is not to mention that STEM jobs earn higher wages, there are more STEM opportunities each year and that STEM expertise will be required to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems.

 

These fields advance innovations not just at SC Johnson, but in the world at large, for the benefit of all. And that is why we have been investing in education and opening minds with education for decades, and particularly in our headquarters hometown community.

In 1979, we launched an education programme called the Kaleidoscope Education Series (KES) in our headquarters hometown of Racine, Wisconsin. Targeting elementary school students, the programme aimed to support school curricula with added programming about science, maths, art and theatre. In its first year, Kaleidoscope offered 13 programs and welcomed nearly 9,000 students and teachers. 

 

Today, the program reaches more than 25,000 kids annually in Southeastern Wisconsin. We have expanded the curriculum and our commitment, even transporting children by bus to the campus so transportation would never be a hindrance. In total, more than 650,000 local students have come to open their eyes and deepen their knowledge. 

Recognising that literacy is a root of success in every person’s education, in 2011 we launched a programme to start a dialogue about the importance of reading and encourage literacy, also in our headquarters community. 

 

We challenged local elementary students to read a million books during the school year – an average of 100 books per child. The kids rose to the challenge, more than quadrupling the national average by reading 180 books per student and 1.8 million books in total. 

 

Additionally, both in 2011 and again in 2017, we have funded mobile libraries for Racine, helping library books reach readers far and wide, strengthening our connection to surrounding communities and encouraging reading.

In 2017, SC Johnson announced a $500,000 donation to support the renovation of the integrated science lab at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which is near our headquarters hometown.

 

The donation was a result of a partnership between SC Johnson and the Racine Community Foundation. It supports Parkside’s Integrated Science and Applied Learning Initiative and will help the university add opportunities for students, such as research fellowships, scientific career exploration and development activities. 

 

Said our Chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson when announcing the news, “We are thrilled the new SC Johnson Integrated Science Lab will help support future science professionals who are better prepared for the workforce, and will assist with meeting future workforce demands of the region.” 

 

Building improvements will include fully redesigned science labs with the most up-to-date technology, like what’s used in research facilities and scientific workplaces. There are also plans to expand the lab to provide larger spaces for advanced and independent research. 

When it comes to learning modern technologies and engineering skills, there’s a simple truth: hands-on experience is essential. 

 

That is why for more than 20 years, SC Johnson has partnered with Gateway Technical College, which offers more than 65 education programmes for health, business, manufacturing and engineering, and services careers. 

 

Beyond providing financial support for Gateway programming that increases technical competency in the community around our largest global manufacturing facility, we contributed $1.7 million to help expand Gateway's iMET Centre. It is dedicated to training the manufacturing workforce, and its programmes include hands-on skill training for careers in areas such as electronics and engineering.  

 

Plus, in 2016, SC Johnson along with our Chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson announced a combined donation of $700,000 to Gateway to support the Gateway Promise, which helps fill the gap between financial aid grants received by students and the cost of attending Gateway. This provides educational opportunities that might not otherwise be available to lower-income students.

While supporting education is a priority in our headquarters community, which is also home to our largest global manufacturing facility, education is a giving priority for SC Johnson worldwide. In fact, educational support was 13% of our global philanthropy in 2016/17.

 

As an example, for over 20 years, SC Johnson has supported the Teenage Environmental Education Fund in Shanghai, which teaches good environmental practices for China’s youth. In the United Kingdom, support of The Prince’s Trust has helped young people transition into work, training or education. SC Johnson Germany has supported NeanderLAB, an organisation that provides lab space for children from 24 area schools, encouraging greater interest in the sciences.

 

And those are just a few examples. Wherever we operate around the world, at SC Johnson we aim to foster access and engagement in education. To us, it is simply the right thing to do. Tomorrow’s great STEM minds will make life better for everyone – and we want to help them get there.