Founding and Lead Sponsor in Collaboration with the Vice Provost of Advances in Learning at Harvard University
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., June 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Amgen Foundation today announced an increased commitment to LabXchange, an online science education platform that provides users with access to high-quality science education resources at no cost. The Amgen Foundation is expanding its impact on science education with Harvard's Vice Provost of Advances in Learning by more than doubling their investment in LabXchange. As the founding and lead sponsor of LabXchange, the Amgen Foundation has committed $30 million to enhance science learning opportunities for students and educators worldwide in addition to the $13 million previously donated.
LabXchange was launched in January 2020 to help educators and students discover, engage with and share highly curated and personalized online lab experiments, interactive lessons and videos. With over 16,000 resources, these learning experiences complement in-person education to build science literacy and inspire the next generation of scientists.
"By overcoming barriers of cost and geographical location, LabXchange is helping to level the playing field, so learners of all ages everywhere have access to world-class science education," said Judy Brown, senior vice president of Corporate Affairs at Amgen and chairman for the Amgen Foundation.
"We believe that everyone needs science, and that science needs everyone. To date we've reached 20 million users in 230 countries and territories around the world," said Gaurav Vazirani, managing director at LabXchange. "To fully realize our vision, we aim to grow our global science classroom from 20 million people to 50 million by 2025."
The additional funding contribution will allow LabXchange to expand and deepen collaborations with STEM organizations worldwide, and pursue opportunities to serve more learners, particularly in communities that are underserved. Over the next three years, the investment will also allow LabXchange to:
- Develop more data science, biotechnology and environmental content
- Translate content into 30 languages
- Launch a new teacher ambassador network
- Increase content offerings that address racial inequity in healthcare, education and STEM
- Expand content for middle schoolers
"COVID-19 has really pushed teachers to rethink their teaching strategies and a top priority for me was to make my classroom resources equitable for all students," said Uma Mahajan, a secondary educator in North Carolina. "LabXchange is a wonderful platform to simulate labs, access trusted resources and allow students to progress at their own pace."
For more information, please visit LabXchange.org.
About LabXchange
LabXchange is an online science education platform that provides users with access to high-quality science education, personalized instruction, online lab experiences, and networking opportunities across the global scientific community at no cost. To learn more about this initiative, visit www.labxchange.org.
About the Amgen Foundation
The Amgen Foundation is inspiring the next generation of scientists and future problem solvers – wherever they are. We are engaging students with diverse perspectives and backgrounds to harness the full potential of science to solve tomorrow's toughest challenges. Working in partnership with local and global partners, we are providing best-in-class science education at no cost to students. To date, the Foundation has donated over $375 million to local, regional, and international non-profit organizations that impact society in inspiring and innovative ways. The Amgen Foundation brings the excitement of discovery to the scientists of tomorrow through its signature programs, including LabXchange, Amgen Scholars, and the Amgen Biotech Experience. For more information, visit www.AmgenFoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @AmgenFoundation.
About the Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning, Harvard University
Harvard's Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning seeks to shape the future of education by discovering new ways to build the competence, curiosity, and confidence of learners on our campuses and around the world. We create engaging and scalable learning experiences, cultivate inspiring ideas, and connect a global community of learners while developing tools, technologies, platforms, and policies to reduce friction throughout the learning lifecycle.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen Foundation.
CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Jessica Akopyan, 805-440-5721 (media)
Michael Strapazon, 805-313-5553 (media)
Annie Kasparian, 805-447-1060 (investors)
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SOURCE Amgen
