2023 Excellence in Equity Awards Names Futurelab+ from Discovery Education and Genentech as Best STEM Solution
Charlotte, NC. (Tuesday, December 19, 2023) — Futurelab+, an educational initiative from Discovery Education and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, was recently named the Best STEM Solution as part of the 2023 Excellence in Equity Awards. Presented by The American Consortium for Equity in Education, the Excellence in Equity Awards acknowledges, spotlights, and celebrates high-impact work across K-12 education.
Honoring the industry contributors — companies, products, leaders, nonprofits and more — whose work supports success and equitable achievement for educators and students, this competitive awards program received more than 120 nominations from across the U.S. in 25 categories and 47 have been announced as winners. The awards were created to acknowledge, spotlight, and celebrate high-impact work across K-12 education, as well as expand and enhance the discussion around educational equity. After the judges’ review, the winning nominees were identified as those whose exemplary contributions stood out in a strong field.
“To start, I want to thank not only our winners, but each of our nominees and finalists, as well, for their contributions to educational access and equity,” said Ross Romano, strategic advisor to the Consortium and program chair of the Excellence in Equity Awards. “It’s due to these daily efforts that schools, educators, and students are able to succeed. It’s been a thrill to see the growing interest in our awards program — which I believe indicates the growing commitment companies are making to innovative equity initiatives — and I congratulate all our winners for work that was truly exemplary this year.”
Futurelab+ aims to increase the number and diversity of students receiving a comprehensive biotechnology education by offering a standards-aligned curriculum for high school students that includes groundbreaking content addressing health equity and the importance of advancing inclusivity and representation in clinical research. The curriculum and associated educator supports and peer networks are all available at no cost.. In addition to immersing students in the real-world applications of the science topics they are learning about, Futurelab+ provides students with opportunities to explore the wide variety of career possibilities available in STEM.
“To date, Futurelab+ has reached more than 627,000 high school students – many from low-income schools that serve communities who have been historically underrepresented and excluded from STEM careers,” said Ragnar von Schiber, principal, Corporate Citizenship & Engagement and head of K-12 STEM education initiatives, Genentech. “It’s an honor to be recognized by the American Consortium for Equity in Education n for our work with Discovery Education to expand access to high-quality biotechnology education opportunities through Futurelab+.”
Futurelab+ was developed as a collaboration with Discovery Education and a network of partners including BABEC (Bay Area Bioscience Education Community), Jobs for the Future (JFF), Ignited, The American Institutes for Research (AIR) and California Academy of Sciences.
“We are thrilled that Genentech and Futurelab+ are being recognized for excellence. This STEM honor inspires the team that created this initiative to work even harder to support more students and educators in the future,” said Amy Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of Social Impact at Discovery Education.
Futurelab+ resources are available at futurelabplus.com and on Discovery Education Experience, the company’s award-winning K-12 learning platform. Learn more about the Excellence in Equity Awards and the other winners here.
For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
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About the Excellence in Equity Awards
The Excellence in Equity Awards program recognizes the companies, nonprofits, leaders, and educators whose work contributes to the critical goal of ensuring access and equity for every learner. Learn more at www.ace-ed.org/awards.
About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and social impact programs, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
Contacts
Grace Maliska
Discovery Education
Email: gmaliska@discoveryed.com