Public and Private Sector Leaders to Discuss U.S. Science Education Reform

MIDLAND, Mich.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--In the U.S. today, 3 million jobs, predominantly related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) expertise, remain unfilled due to lack of a properly trained workforce. According to public and private sector leaders, including The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), the U.S. educational system urgently requires a strategic shift to encourage excellence in STEM teaching and student engagement to ensure the future of American manufacturing and increase global competitiveness. Dow is convening an interactive virtual conference with experts focused on how improvements STEM education can generate greater workforce readiness in the U.S.

“The right educational approach is essential to producing talent to fuel the American innovation pipeline and meet the business needs of 2012 and beyond”

On Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7:00 p.m. ET, 25 leading experts will offer a series of perspectives during The Future of Science Education: STEM and Workforce Readiness virtual conference. The event will examine the broad set of issues facing STEM education, as well as solutions such as project-based learning models that are fostering engagement and interest in STEM subjects.

“The right educational approach is essential to producing talent to fuel the American innovation pipeline and meet the business needs of 2012 and beyond,” said Bo Miller, Dow’s global director of corporate citizenship and president of The Dow Chemical Company Foundation. “No one organization can solve this challenge alone – it takes collaboration between businesses, educators and policymakers to stand up and drive this change. Together, we can evolve our education system to foster a technically-superior and globally competitive workforce that can solve increasingly complex global challenges.”

Speakers include business leaders, teachers and administrators from U.S. public high schools, prominent education journalists, researchers and advocates for education reform. Featured participants include: Andrew Liveris, Chairman and CEO of Dow, Mary Ann Rankin, CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative, Linda Rosen, CEO of Change the Equation, Subra Suresh, director of the National Science Foundation and Francis Eberle, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association.

During the 30-minute online conference, which is open to all at http://futurewecreate.com, participants will have the opportunity to engage in an online discussion and live question and answer session with many of the speakers via digital and social media channels. Leading up to the event, visitors can preview a trailer describing the conference as well as see a full listing of conference speakers.

The Future of Science Education: STEM and Workforce Readiness is part of Dow’s long-standing commitment to the enhancement of STEM education in all levels, encouraging students to pursue careers in science, promoting vocational training focused on the needs of the industrial marketplace and investing in teacher development.

For more information and to participate, follow The Future We Create on Facebook and Twitter.

About Dow

Dow combines the power of science and technology with the “Human Element” to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

Twittercue: Join The Future of Science Education: STEM & Workforce Readiness virtual conference 2/2 at 7 ET http://bit.ly/fLYLUA #STEM #FutureWeCreate
Twittercue: Andrew Liveris @DowChemical CEO and education experts convene on 2/2 to revitalize STEM ed. http://bit.ly/fLYLUA #STEM #FutureWeCreate