Collective industry effort will support STEM grants to Watertown teachers
Life Science Cares Boston is collaborating with the Watertown Community Foundation and four Watertown-based life science companies to launch the Watertown STEM Education Fund, a special effort to fund science, technology, engineering & math programming in the Watertown Public Schools.
Four corporate contributors—Arranta Bio, C4 Therapeutics, Forma Therapeutics & Landmark Bio—and Life Science Cares have committed a total of $15,000 in funding for teacher-driven requests for supplemental materials, books, equipment, special events and speakers, student programs and experimental school or district-wide initiatives.
The fund builds on the Watertown Community Foundation’s annual school-based educational grants program and will increase total funding for the foundation’s grants this fall. 
“This exciting new partnership and funding commitment will expand our ability to support Watertown teachers through our annual education grant program. Each year we receive far more grant requests than we can fund, particularly in the area of science and technology. This STEM Fund will truly transform our grant giving capacity and provide teachers and our schools with more resources to support students in the classroom.” said Jan Singer, Watertown Community Foundation Executive Director.
This collective giving program also allows companies, leaders and employees in the burgeoning Watertown life sciences field to learn about Watertown Public Schools and forge deeper relationships with the school STEM community. Today Watertown is home to Watertown is home to 43 life science companies, many of whom moved to town in the last few years, and there are more on the way.
“As the industry continues to grow in Greater Boston, we are committed to being good neighbors and true partners,” said Sarah MacDonald, Executive Director of Life Science Cares Boston, an industry-wide effort to fight poverty and expand opportunity. “We are thrilled to bring together companies to build relationships and make good on that commitment.”
“We are pleased to partner with Life Science Cares and the Watertown Community Fund to help bring STEM programming to Watertown Public Schools,” said Andrew Hirsch, President and Chief Executive Officer of C4 Therapeutics and member of Life Science Cares Board of Advisors. “As C4 Therapeutics continues to grow, we remain committed to being a partner in the Watertown community and helping students benefit from STEM programming in hopes that they may one day pursue a career path in the life science industry.”
“We are proud to work with Life Science Cares Boston, the Watertown Community Foundation, and other local life science companies to launch the Watertown STEM Education Fund and sponsor STEM programs in the Watertown Public School system. Supporting education in science and engineering is so important to our organization and we are thrilled to have to the opportunity to make an impact here in this community,” said Ran Zheng, CEO at Landmark Bio.
“We are dedicated to improve STEM education for students of all ages and help bridge opportunities for future careers in Life Sciences especially for those from diverse backgrounds,” said Arranta Bio CEO Mark Bamforth, “We are proud to be part of this partnership that demonstrates the power of coming together to make a positive impact on our community.”
Grant applications will be distributed to Watertown Public School teachers and staff in mid-October and will be due to the Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) by November 15th. Grant review committees—including representatives from Arranta Bio, C4 Therapeutics, Forma Therapeutics and Landmark Bio—will make grant recommendations to the WCF board by early December.
For more information on the new STEM fund, visit https://www.watertownfoundation.org/school-program-grants. Companies wishing to join the effort should contact LSC Boston Executive Director Sarah MacDonald at [email protected].