Bristol-Myers Squibb Makes Gift Of Science To Toddlers And Preschoolers

(2005-02-25)

Forty-five Child Care Centers in New Jersey and Connecticut to Receive New Science Program

The BLAST (Building Leadership and Assistance for Science Teaching) PreK program prepares children age 18 months to five years to be engaged and effective learners of science through guided inquiry in elementary school and beyond. BLAST PreK is designed to stimulate their curiosity for the natural world around them and to enable them to practice their skills in exploration, questioning and observation. Bristol-Myers Squibb funded the development of the curriculum and science kits and today made a gift to five area preschools which will use them in their classrooms.

"We've all heard of the studies that show students in the United States are falling behind those in other countries in math and science," said Edward W. Petrillo, Ph.D., distinguished research fellow, Drug Discovery Technology, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute. "Tomorrow's generation of scientists depends on us, acting now, to do more to spark a love of science in our young people. BLAST PreK builds on the toddler's love of exploration, discovery and getting their hands dirty to encourage a life-long passion for science."

"As a science-based company, we are obviously interested in ensuring that our young people continue to pursue careers in science," said Anders Hedberg, Ph.D., director, Corporate Contributions, Bristol-Myers Squibb. "Young as they seem, some of the children in our preschools today will be in the laboratories of tomorrow working to make breakthroughs in medicine, science and technology. More importantly, all of them will have to be informed consumers of science and technology, and will need to be scientifically literate.

The BLAST PreK kits were given to the Lawrence Day School (Lawrence Township), University League Nursery (Princeton), Little Kids College (Lawrenceville), Rutgers Livingston Daycare (New Brunswick) and The Children's Center at Montclair State University (Montclair). Little Kids College serves children from Trenton as part of the state's Abbott preschool program, which provides quality preschool programs to children in disadvantaged communities.

The kits will also be used in the child care centers at three Bristol-Myers Squibb facilities in New Jersey (Princeton, Hopewell and Plainsboro) and one in Wallingford, Connecticut, operated by child care company Bright Horizons, which partnered with Bristol-Myers Squibb to develop the BLAST PreK curriculum. The kits will be phased in at 40 additional child care centers -- 10 in Connecticut and 30 in New Jersey -- over three years. Centers will be eligible to receive the kits if they are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and agree to participate in the program evaluation.

In developing the curriculum, Bristol-Myers Squibb engaged David Heil, a nationally-recognized science educator, author and past host of the Emmy Award-winning Public Broadcasting Service science series, Newton's Apple.

The curriculum and kits consist of six units that are sure to engage the preschoolers -- Insects, Play, Senses, Water, Sound and Food and Fitness.

"The kits are designed to encourage the children to stick their hands in the mud, watch a worm, or take a ride down a slide as part of the lesson," said David Heil. "We know at this age, the children will ask 'Why?' We hope to take that natural curiosity and have them keep asking 'Why?' well into adulthood." BLAST PreK has been designed to assist the teacher to make the most of "The Teachable Moment" -- the sudden hail storm, or a just-hatched butterfly sitting on the window pane -- to stimulate a curious young discoverer to ask questions and find answers.

The unique curriculum contains everything the teachers will need to conduct the lessons. Each unit features a box complete with all the teaching materials, which range from rhythm instruments to balls to sponges. The six boxed units, which have been field tested by Bright Horizons, include the hands-on materials, children's books, a teacher's guide, and take-home activities to share with parents. Bristol-Myers Squibb is also offering free training for five staff members per school on science teaching methods. In exchange, the child care centers will be asked to participate in a year-long evaluation. Montclair State University will conduct the evaluation on behalf of Bristol-Myers Squibb.

All of the centers receiving the kits are non-profit agencies which are accredited by the NAEYC.

For more than 10 years, Bristol-Myers Squibb has been a leader of a national, systemic initiative to strengthen science teaching in grades kindergarten through 12. That initiative has trained teachers and provided state-of-the-art science teaching materials for use in classrooms. Five years ago, Rider University's School of Education and science departments collaborated in creating the Bristol-Myers Squibb Center for Science Teaching and Learning to train new teachers in the best methods of teaching science. This highly successful model for driving better science education in schools throughout New Jersey is being replicated at Montclair State University.

Driven by the latest research showing the learning capacity of young children, the company began exploring ways to introduce science to even younger children, resulting in the development of BLAST PreK.

Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global pharmaceutical and related health care products company whose mission is to extend and enhance human life.