Boehringer Ingelheim Employees Mentor Local Students as part of Junior Achievement Programs

On Friday, June 3rd 2016, forty employees from Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) brought STEM careers to life for Danbury Westside Middle School Academy's entire student body (400 students grades 6-8) during JA in a Day. Funding for the full day Junior Achievement program was provided by a grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation.

BI employee volunteers taught three different Junior Achievement programs (JA Economics for Success, JA Global Marketplace, JA It's My Future) which included age-appropriate interactive activities focused on economic empowerment skills, the global workforce and careers.

The BI Cares Foundation grant also funded a JA Job Shadow day at Boehringer Ingelheim's Ridgefield office on April 29th. Twenty Westside students got an up-close look at STEM careers at this global research-driven pharmaceutical company.

"Our partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim, now in its fifth year, is so valuable because they provide both program funding and dedicated volunteers," according to Bernadine Venditto, president of JA of Western CT. "The BI volunteers are strong role models and help our young people develop learning and career strategies for the future."

Junior Achievement facilitates community-school programs where trained local business people volunteer their time in schools to teach students about a variety of topics including career and work readiness and financial literacy.

For more information about local Junior Achievement programs, visit http://www.jawct.org.

About The Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation

The BI Cares Foundation improves lives through philanthropic contributions and donations of healthcare products and resources. One of the ways the Foundation fulfills its mission is through its Financial Contributions Program. The BI Cares Foundation supports programs that align with its goals of improving access to health care and enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education, with a focus on the underserved. For more than 125 years Boehringer Ingelheim has been committed to doing the right thing around the world and in our own local communities. We recognize that we are part of a larger community and we partner with organizations to improve it.

About Junior Achievement of Western Connecticut

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to empower young people with the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and commu­nity volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work and career readiness and entrepreneurship. For more information about JAWCT or to volunteer, please visit www.jawct.org or call 203.382.0180.

U [