OUR PURPOSE PIONEERING SCIENCE REPORTING 111 BIOGEN FOUNDATION: 2021 HIGHLIGHTS BIOGEN 2021 YEAR IN REVIEW PATIENTS OUR PEOPLE ENVIRONMENT COMMUNITY 3. Changing lives through science Supporting a holistic approach to learning, including equitable access to education and teacher development and inclusive science career paths. Minorities have been historically underrepresented in the sciences, with Blacks today accounting for 6% of STEM jobs while the Latino population comprises only 8% of the STEM workforce. The Biogen Foundation continued to make gains in changing this trend in 2021, inspiring students from underserved communities to pursue careers in STEM. The Biogen Foundation collaborated with the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation to bring science to classrooms in underserved and underrepresented communities by connecting students and educators with Biogen employees to foster science literacy and excite students to enter careers in the life sciences. Similarly, the Biogen Foundation’s support of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences offered teacher professional development with Biogen scientists and student science lab experiences at the museum. FEATURE Aspiring diverse future scientists: the Biogen Foundation’s STAR Initiative The Biogen Foundation’s STAR Initiative is a four-year, $10 million investment that boosts STEM education equity in Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts. Launched in 2018, STAR (Science, Teacher support, Access & Readiness) coordinates a multi- stakeholder network that includes six high-performing nonprofits to serve students historically underrepresented in STEM college and career pathways – notably, students of color. STAR tackles issues like helping students pass Algebra 1 by the end of freshman year, which is essential for future work in Calculus, a strong predictor of STEM career preparedness and interest. In Cambridge, since STAR began in 2018, 97.3% of participating ninth grade students from low-income families have passed Algebra 1, compared to 83.5% of all Cambridge ninth-graders from low-income families. Similarly, Somerville has seen a five percentage- point increase in STAR students taking the more advanced Math Concepts 1 and a surge from 8% to 20% participation in Geometry, differences that can be life-changing for the students involved. In 2021, STAR grantees served 897 students, 226 public school teachers, and more than 85 out-of- school-time educators in Cambridge and Somerville. Within the student population, 77% were students of color, 58% were from low-income families, and 26% were English language learners. Among last year’s highlights, the Biogen Foundation’s support of nonprofit Citizen Schools allowed for students in Somerville to partner with local mentors from Biogen to create WOW! Projects, which reflected the STEM class curriculum and represented the unique interests and personalities of each student. The STAR program was also highlighted in the Boston Business Journal’s Partners with Purpose feature that showcases companies and nonprofits working together in novel ways. The STAR Initiative helps students from Breakthrough Greater Boston (seen here) and participating schools to excel in math and other STEM subjects. Photo used with permission from Root Cause. These mentors were so important for my diverse set of kids. They were able to connect on so many levels – where they came from, what language they spoke. They made a major impact on how these students saw themselves and what they can do in the future.” Tara Beardsley science teacher, Winter Hill Innovation School, Somerville, Massachusetts IN THE FIRST THREE YEARS, THE STAR INITIATIVE HAS SERVED: 3,000 students 500 teachers 130 out-of-school-time educators