Grants Announced to Encourage Students to Seek Careers in Agriculture and Apiculture through Bayer CropScience and National FFA Organization

December 8, 2014

Partnership will provide $50,000 in grants that promote career paths in science and challenge students to make advancements in improving honey bee health

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (December 9, 2014) – Next year, Bayer CropScience, in partnership with the National FFA Organization, will provide grants to inspire interest in agriculture and apiculture professions among America’s youth. The grant program will help FFA members develop their unique talents and explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers with a focus on finding solutions that will help honey bees thrive. The program is a demonstration of Bayer’s continued commitment to engage with partners who focus on developing future STEM leaders, improving science literacy and driving bee health awareness.


“Bayer CropScience has been a long-standing advocate of FFA and supports its mission of building the next generation of farming leaders across America,” said Dr. Becky Langer, manager of Bayer‘s Bee Care Program. “Through this new initiative, we can help inspire young people to learn more about agriculture, create innovative solutions to some of our greatest industry challenges and pave the way for the future of farming.”

"We are excited about the opportunities that this partnership will give to our members," said Molly Ball, president of National FFA Foundation. "Thanks to supporters like Bayer CropScience, FFA continues to grow future leaders in the agricultural industry."

As a special project of the National FFA Foundation, Bayer’s investment of $50,000 will go toward three types of grants: Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) grants, Environmental Chapter grants and State grants.

SAE grants
Ten SAE grants worth $1,000 each will be awarded to students proposing projects focused on bee health. These grants feature hands-on learning opportunities as students work with their agricultural teachers to plan and execute their projects.

Environmental Chapter grants
Bayer will give $20,000 in Environmental Chapter grants to support selected FFA chapters in implementing year-long, service-learning projects that address local environmental needs. Service-learning is a method of teaching and learning that challenges students to research, develop and implement solutions to identified needs in their school or community. Projects will be encouraged to focus on increasing forage by planting pollinator-friendly gardens and other pollinator-focused health initiatives.

State grants
Bayer will give $20,000 for state-specific grants focusing on improving bee health through habitat and forage.

How to apply
Environmental and state grants will be awarded in the spring of 2015 and work can begin immediately after notification. SAE grants will be awarded in fall of 2015 for activities to be conducted in 2016.

For more information about the Bayer and FFA grant program, please visit www.FFA.org. For additional information and background on Bayer and its educational programs, please visit here.

The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 610,240 student members who belong to one of 7,665 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.


Bayer CropScience Twitter Page:
http://twitter.com/bayer4cropsus
http://twitter.com/bayerbeecare

Bayer Bee Health Website:
www.beehealth.bayer.us

Bayer CropScience Blog:
http://connect.bayercropscience.us
Bayer CropScience is committed to bringing new technology and solutions for agriculture and non-agricultural uses. For questions concerning the availability and use of products, contact a local Bayer CropScience representative, or visit Bayer CropScience online at www.bayercropscience.us.


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About Bayer CropScience
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. Bayer CropScience, the subgroup of Bayer AG responsible for the agricultural business, has annual sales of EUR 8,819 million (2013) and is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of seeds, crop protection and non-agricultural pest control. The company offers an outstanding range of products including high value seeds, innovative crop protection solutions based on chemical and biological modes of action as well as an extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture. In the area of non-agricultural applications, Bayer CropScience has a broad portfolio of products and services to control pests from home and garden to forestry applications. The company has a global workforce of 22,400 and is represented in more than 120 countries. This and further news is available at: www.press.bayercropscience.com.

Contact:
Bayer CropScience Media Hotline, 1-862-404-5118, or

Beth Roden
Head of Communications & Bayer CropScience NA Coordinator
Bayer CropScience
Tel: (919) 549-2030
Email: beth.roden@bayer.com

Catharine Montgomery
Porter Novelli
Tel: (404) 995-4521
Email: catharine.montgomery@porternovelli.com

Find more information at www.bayercropscience.us.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.