Gilead Foundation Grants $6.5 Million in Commitment to STEM Education
--Combined Funding Strengthens Bay Area Community with STEM Curriculum, Building Scientific, Technology and Mathematics Literacy--
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) today announced that it has committed more than $6.5 million in grant funding toward strengthening science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education pathways in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. The funding, distributed through the Gilead Foundation, will build on the company's ongoing work to cultivate a robust talent pipeline comprised of students from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and experiences. These donations represent an ongoing commitment to supporting organizations where Gilead colleagues live and work, including a $1 million grant to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and $500,000 to the San Mateo Foster City Education Foundation to build STEM curriculum.
With STEM skills projected to be essential for 80% of all jobs by the end of the decade, the Gilead Foundation's investment is a powerful step toward closing the opportunity gap and preparing students for the future. The U.S. faces a projected shortfall of 1.4 million skilled STEM workers by 2030, making access to STEM education more urgent than ever.
"The Gilead Foundation's commitments will help promote promising futures for students in the Bay Area and beyond with the goal of strengthening our local communities," said Keeley Wettan, Senior Vice President, Legal at Gilead and Gilead Foundation Board Member. "STEM skills have become a necessity for the modern workforce across the country, but many students need better access to the educational experiences needed to grow these skills. We're proud to partner with organizations that are on the front line of this work."
The Gilead Foundation's grants will support organizations working to strengthen STEM learning opportunities for students from elementary school through college. Recent commitments include:
- A $1 million grant to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to support STEM programs for elementary through high school students in eight sites across the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Maryland, Washington D.C., New Jersey and North Carolina.
- A $500,000 grant to the San Mateo Foster City Education Foundation to support STEM education for elementary and middle school students in the San Mateo-Foster City School District.
- $5 million in grants to San Francisco State University to support the construction of their new Science and Engineering Innovation Center (SEIC) and student programming.
"High-quality STEM education is critical for building a skilled workforce, but too many students lack access to these opportunities," said Lisa Anastasi, Executive Vice President and Chief Development and External Relations Officer at Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "We must work to close the skills gap and empower every young person to explore the possibilities of STEM, including potential career paths. We're proud to partner with the Gilead Foundation to help build a STEM workforce that reflects the talent and potential in all our communities."
"Every student deserves access to STEM experiences, regardless of their background or zip code," said Diego Ochoa, Superintendent of the San Mateo-Foster City School District. "STEM education not only builds scientific, technological and mathematical literacy, but also cultivates seminal problem-solving skills and critical thinking in our students. When these opportunities aren't accessible to all, we lose out on incredible potential. It's time to change the narrative and the reality: all kids deserve the opportunity to be in STEM."
These recent investments follow the official launch of San Francisco State University's SEIC facility, which opened its doors earlier this year, serving a predominantly local student population drawn from Bay Area communities. The Gilead Foundation's grant provided state of the art research equipment and resources to support students' pursuit of STEM degrees - and careers - across biopharma, biotech and engineering.
"We're so grateful for the Gilead Foundation's generous investment in San Francisco State University," said Carmen Domingo, Dean of the College of Science and Engineering at SFSU. "Our students will be the next generation of scientists, engineers and healthcare professionals pushing us forward, and it's crucial that they are given the opportunity to be trained on modern technologies and with tools that are most in demand. The resources housed in the new Science and Engineering Innovation Center will greatly increase our ability to prepare students to thrive across careers in STEM in our communities."
The Gilead Foundation's investments build on the company's longstanding commitment toward supporting organizations in the Bay Area, including those building the next-generation STEM workforce. Since 2018, Gilead has awarded more than $150 million in grant funding to nearly 250 nonprofit organizations in the region working to advance education equity and strengthen a diverse workforce pipeline.
About the Gilead Foundation
The Gilead Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works to create a thriving health ecosystem. The Gilead Foundation takes a holistic approach to mitigate the root causes of health inequities by providing resources to organizations that empower people with the skills to be their own best advocate and create systems of support that strengthen communities, classrooms and workplaces.
About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, cancer, and inflammation. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, Calif.
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For more information about Gilead, please visit the company's website at www.gilead.com, follow Gilead on X/Twitter (@Gilead Sciences) and LinkedIn (@Gilead-Sciences).
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Jessica Smith, Media
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Jacquie Ross, Investors
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