MADISON, Wis. — Middle school students in the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) will engage in a more rigorous science curriculum during the 2014-15 school year, thanks in part to a Thermo Fisher Scientific grant to support research projects, equipment costs and site visits.

The Inspire Grant, presented by Thermo Fisher’s Community Action Council (CAC) in Madison to the MMSD, will provide students in sixth to eighth grade with enhanced resources to learn about applying the scientific method to answer questions. Students will develop their own research projects and share results leading up to the Middle School Science Symposium, a regional science fair to be held next spring. In addition to financial support, Thermo Fisher employees will serve as volunteer mentors, providing hands-on, one-on-one guidance to students as they develop their projects. The volunteers will also host students on field trips to the Madison site during the school year so that they can better understand the scientific advancements taking place in their community.

“Thermo Fisher Scientific has made a significant commitment toward science education in Madison by choosing to provide us with an Inspire Grant,” said Lisa Wachtel, science coordinator, MMSD. “While the company’s financial contribution will add to this program’s success, we are also thrilled that our students will be exposed to the passion, knowledge and forward-thinking mentality that Thermo Fisher employees bring to their jobs each and every day.”

“For our employees, Madison is more than just the city in which we work, it is also home, and we are committed to helping students in our community prepare for their post-secondary education and beyond,” said Heather Becker, human resources manager and CAC lead for Thermo Fisher’s Madison site. “Our goal is to inspire our youth to pursue careers in science. The Inspire Grant – along with numerous other STEM-related initiatives – is an important part of this mission.”

The donation of an Inspire Grant is the continuation of a long-standing partnership between Thermo Fisher’s Madison CAC and the MMSD to support science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education among middle and high school students. In May, the CAC donated more than $18,000 worth of equipment and laboratory consumables to La Follette High School, one of three schools participating in a biotechnology program to enhance STEM education. In addition, the CAC’s Community Services Team is holding a school supplies drive to support the start of the semester at Cherokee Middle School.

For more information about how Thermo Fisher Scientific supports community initiatives, please visit www.thermofisher.com/responsibility.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with revenues of $17 billion and 50,000 employees in 50 countries. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We help our customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity. Through our four premier brands – Thermo Scientific, Life Technologies, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services – we offer an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and comprehensive support. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.