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Corporate Responsibility Report 2008

Supporting science education

In the UK and US, the numbers of young people choosing science subjects is falling and many students lack proficiency in either reading or mathematics.

As a result, both countries face a significant skills shortage.

The success of our business relies on us being able to recruit talented individuals, particularly those with science qualifications. We also want young people to make sound decisions about the science-related issues they meet in everyday life.

Our education programmes help make science more relevant to young people in the UK and US, stimulating their interest in science, and supports the training and development of science teachers.

UK

Project ENTHUSE
Half of secondary school science teachers in the UK have had no subject training within the past five years. Project ENTHUSE was launched in 2008 to improve continuing professional development of science teachers and to provide them with the latest techniques to rekindle interest in science.

Teachers, assistants and technicians can apply for an ENTHUSE Award to help them study at the National Science Learning Centre at the University of York. The award will cover course fees, the cost of covering teachers’ roles while they are on the course, and travel and accommodation for 2,200 teachers each year. The schools will also receive a small amount of money to help implement ideas back in the classroom.

We have committed £1 million to this initiative helping to create a £30 million fund with support from the UK government, the Wellcome Trust and eight other industry partners.

CREST Star Investigators
After-school clubs help broaden the interests and experiences of young people, but these often focus on sports or arts rather than science. CREST Star Investigators, developed by the British Association for the Advancement of Science and funded by GSK, aims to redress this balance and engage 5 to 12 year olds in science-based activities.

The UK-wide programme offers activity packs to schools and other organisations such as the Brownies and Cubs for use in after-school clubs. The activities encourage children to solve scientific problems through exciting practical investigations. The pack contains activities at three different difficulty levels, and children are awarded a certificate when they complete each stage.

So far almost 3,000 packs have been distributed to nearly 1,500 schools. By 2010, we aim to have 5,000 schools and 55,000 children taking part.

US

Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW)
Building on GSK’s leadership at state and local levels related to reform and improvement of public schools, GSK led the effort to create the ICW on a national level. The result has been a national movement for business/education partnerships focused on improved academic achievement in our public school system in order to help ensure a qualified workforce for American businesses in the future.

Science in the Summer
We support Science in the Summer, a free education programme designed to get young people in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Greater Philadelphia and North Carolina interested in science. Classes held in local libraries give children the chance to take part in hands-on experiments and take courses ranging from genetics to oceanography. The programme began in 1986, and in 2008 GSK invested $575,000 across 162 sites where over 6,000 children participated in the programme.

North Carolina New Schools Project
GSK partners with the North Carolina New Schools Project, an initiative that aims to transform teaching and learning so that high school students graduate ready for college and the workplace. GSK is helping to fund the development of science and technology programmes at ten of North Carolina’s low-performing high schools. The initiative aims to improve the schools’ test results and graduation rates. GSK also funds a review of state curricula so that the benefits are shared more widely.