By: Ragnar von Schiber, Head of K-12 STEM education initiatives at Genentech.
Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, develops medicines for people with serious and life-threatening diseases. The company’s ability to solve complex health challenges depends in part on developing the next generation of innovators to continue to achieve medical breakthroughs that that solve complex health challenges.
Ragnar von Schiber, Head of K-12 STEM education initiatives at Genentech, explains that, “I lead Genentech’s employee-giving strategy that drives engagement, unlocks our people potential, and helps realize Our Promise to serve society. I also head up our strategic K-12 STEM education initiatives, including Futurelab+, a nationwide, first-of-its-kind biotech curriculum and virtual volunteerism that aims to reach a million high school students across the U.S. by 2026.”
He adds that, “Giving back has been core to Genentech’s culture since our founding nearly 50 years ago. We’re proud members of the communities where we live and work, and we believe we can have the greatest impact by focusing our efforts at the local level, through our charitable giving and by empowering our employees to volunteer their time and talent.”
As an example, von Schiber cites the company’s annual week-long Genentech Gives Back where employees volunteer and raise funds for local nonprofit community organizations “Since the program’s inception in 2010, we have volunteered over 134,000 hours and contributed more than $5.5 million through grants and individual employee contributions,” he notes.
“It’s that kind of commitment that drives lasting, meaningful change, von Schiber emphasizes. Underpinning achievement of that lasting change is Genentech’s active support and participation in K-12 STEM programs.
“Today’s students are the researchers, physicians and healthcare innovators of tomorrow, von Schiber says. “That’s why Genentech supports all stages of the K-12 education continuum, including industry-aligned career exploration in high school that sets the foundation for undergraduate and graduate education in science and medicine.”
He cites studies demonstrating clear benefits when the scientific and medical workforce understands the actual lived experiences of the people it serves. These include greater access to care, improvements in patient experience and health outcomes. Equally important is developing student interest in biotech and healthcare careers that continue to foster these benefits.
To that end, Genentech’s Futurelab and Futurelab+ programs aim to build pathways into STEM fields for the next generation of talent.
Futurelab supports all 8,000 K-12 students in the South San Francisco Unified School District (SSFUSD) to get them excited to learn about science, improve their college readiness and inspire them to pursue careers in STEM fields. It offers four unique programs for students at different stages of their educational journey: Gene Academy, Helix Cup, Science Garage and Futurelab Scholarships.
Futurelab+ is a three-year, open-access biotech curriculum for high school students that provides professional development resources to teachers, helping to strengthen and scale biotech education across underserved schools. It provides a comprehensive biotech curriculum, including capstone year resources designed to support any student pursuing a year of independent research in support of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway for biotechnology. It also includes classroom activities designed to support a virtual classroom visit with a Futurelab+ volunteer on Career Connect, the workforce talent development resource.
Career Connect provides a convenient and easy means for Genentech employee volunteers to connect virtually with classrooms nationwide to share their career experiences and help educators make real-world applications to what they’re teaching. “Many of our Futurelab+ volunteers mention how vital mentors were in their own career journeys and appreciate that Career Connect provides a flexible way to make an impact on students’ lives,” von Schiber says.
Through Career Connect, Futurelab+ volunteers have reached nearly 1000 students. In one Career Connect session, a teacher discovered that the Futurelab+ volunteer worked on a medicine that treated the type of cancer her husband was in remission from. “This was a full circle moment for both the educator and the employee.,” von Schiber points out. “The educator was happy to personally thank a per son who helped save her husband’s life, and the volunteer was happy to hear the firsthand impact of her work!
von Schiber emphasizes how Genentech views the classroom as key to cultivating a love of science in the next generation. “Helping students, especially those from low-income communities, find their way into science and medicine, not only creates pathways to well-paid, meaningful careers, it also ensures that these critical fields reflect the richness of our society,” von Schiber notes. “Increasing access to careers in STEM doesn’t just benefit Genentech, but it makes the entire industry stronger by ensuring that future talent is equipped to meet the challenge of our changing world.”
He adds, “At Genentech, our love for science is deep. We aim to ignite the same passion for science in the next generation. We want every student to feel the excitement of discovery and the promise of biotech careers and to see themselves in this work, because it takes so many skills and points of view to power our company and our industry.”
Genentech is committed to continue this outreach and support of K-12 STEM education. “Genentech will continue to expand the reach of Futurelab+, especially in Title 1 schools and under-resourced communities,” von Schiber says. “Our Futurelab+ volunteers are connecting with classrooms to share their own career journeys and real-world insights to help students relate what they are learning in school to a future career, see what careers in STEM really look like, and discover the many paths to pursue those careers.”
von Schiber emphasizes that, “Connecting with students supports both our business and industry. When students are aware of the full breadth of opportunities available to them, they are inspired to explore new options. And when educators have the tools to introduce and foster a love of science, students are more prepared to pursue those careers.”
He believes that, “Bridging that gap from education to industry is something we all need to work on—every company, every school, every teacher and every volunteer. We at Genentech want to excite more students about biotechnology and help build a more inclusive future STEM workforce.”
About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art, PreK-12, digital solutions help educators engage all students and support higher academic achievement. Through award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, and innovative classroom tools that are effective, engaging, and easy to use, Discovery Education helps educators deliver powerful learning experiences. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Through partnerships with districts, states, and trusted organizations, Discovery Education empowers teachers with essential edtech solutions that inspire curiosity, build confidence, and accelerate learning.
Learn more at www.discoveryeducation.com.
About Career Connect
Career Connect promotes student curiosity by connecting classroom learning to potential careers. Through Career Connect, educators request virtual classroom visits from industry professionals, selecting from an array of job types, industries, languages, and locations. Then, students meet with professionals from industries like biotechnology, science, finance, computer engineering, human resources, education, and more, exploring potential career pathways through these interactions.
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