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Widening access to education

Improving access to education can make a huge difference to people’s lives, especially those who are underserved or underrepresented. At SC Johnson, we are longstanding supporters of education. 

As part of that, celebrating and supporting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education is vital to our mission to help create a world with more opportunity. 

Why is STEM education so powerful? Because it equips students to succeed in their own lives and help solve the world’s future challenges. By supporting STEM, we can create change that lives on. 

Creating scholarships in our hometown
A $5.5 million commitment to Gateway Technical College


In 2021, we announced a landmark $5.5 million commitment to create a scholarship program in our hometown community for students to attend Gateway Technical College and then transfer to a partner institution to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree. 

The new scholarships bring women, people of color and those with limited means the opportunity to gain a four-year degree in a STEM-related career field, widening their horizons and setting the scholars and their communities up for future success.

A pillar of our hometown community, Gateway Technical College is close to our hearts. This is one of many SC Johnson contributions to the institution in the past decade, and it’s the largest single contribution in the college’s history. Together, we’re helping to provide educational pathways and economic mobility. 
STEM in our communities
Bringing students new opportunities


Beyond our major investments, SC Johnson also makes contributions throughout the year to support STEM learning in our communities. 

Some recent examples? This year, we’re giving over £130,000 to Earthwatch Europe and STEM Learning’s Project ENTHUSE to support child education in the UK.

We’ve made a $177,000 commitment to help the Girls Inc. team in our headquarters hometown expand its STEM Squad, and we’re providing funding for a new STEM Lab at a local high school as well.
STEM at home
Helping families with home learning

While we’re proud to support so many educational efforts in our communities, as a family company we know the value of learning at home, too. During the COVID-19 pandemic, home schooling was challenging for many families, so we reached out to support them with practical solutions that helped open students up to STEM topics.

Our Ziploc® brand sparked imaginations by sharing STEM learning activities for kids of all ages, using everyday items they could find in the family home. The activities were created through a collaboration with educational experts at KiwiCo. While the project was already in motion before the COVID-19 pandemic, it proved especially useful to families following the move to home learning. 

We’ve also been sharing fun, interactive STEM content online as part of our longstanding Kaleidoscope Education Series. We believe when kids are inspired and engaged, learning and growth come naturally.
Removing barriers to economic mobility for underserved people is key to the future strength of the United States. The high-demand fields chosen for these scholarships, like software development, electrical engineering and cybersecurity, can create higher-paying jobs, provide long-term career opportunities for students and benefit our economy. We are pleased to be able to support Gateway in its efforts to do just that for people in our community.
Fisk Johnson - Chairman and CEO, SC Johnson
Cabbage chemistry, slime, and shadow puppets

Intrigued? Explore our STEM learning activities for kids.

Science, technology, engineering and math are hugely important topics that will only grow in relevance. We want to introduce individuals and communities to the wonder and joy of these subjects right now, while opening up future opportunities for all. 
Longstanding supporters of education
Our commitment goes right back, and lives on


Did you know SC Johnson has a long legacy of supporting education? In the early 1900s, our company’s founder Samuel Johnson supported the establishment of Piney Woods School in Braxton, Mississippi, dedicated to providing educational access to the children of emancipated slaves.

In 1963, our third-generation leader saw that many children near our operation in Fortaleza, Brazil, had no access to education. SC Johnson opened the first public elementary school there and, eventually, we donated it to the government. In 2018, we helped support a new Escola Johnson with an emphasis on sustainability and STEM.

We’ll continue to support access to education, helping to better the lives of individuals and communities.