USA - Spokane, Washington, U.S.
Math Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) Competition, March 2003
In late March 2003, more than 200 Spokane students took part in the annual Math Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) high-school science competition. As a founding sponsor of the competition, started in 1997, Agilent again provided organizers, classroom mentors, judges and prizes for the ninth- and 10th-grade students. MESA targets girls and minority boys -- groups who are underrepresented in scientific and technological careers -- and underscores Agilent's commitment to quality science instruction. Thirty-five teams from all five Spokane city high schools competed, with judges ranking their ability to demonstrate a scientific principle or natural law. One of the Agilent-mentored teams won top honors overall in the 10th-grade competition for its experiment demonstrating chemoluminescense.
Bill Burdick, R&D engineer at the Electronic Products and Solutions Group's Wireless Division, has led the Spokane competition's organizing efforts for several years and also serves on the Washington state MESA board of directors. Many other Agilent sites provide ongoing local contributions to MESA organizations in their communities as well as significant volunteer time.
Asia Pacific - Penang, Malaysia
Agilent After School Teachers' Workshop, 24 May 2003
Seventy teachers from rural schools in Penang learned and shared ideas about F.U.N. (fun, understandable and enjoyable) lessons for science classes at the first Agilent After School for Teachers' workshop on May 24, 2003. Some 25 Agilent volunteers spent many hours preparing for the event and gave up their Saturday to work with the teachers.
During the workshop, the teachers were introduced to the Agilent After School science kits, a series of hands-on science experiments for students. These kits provide students between the ages of 9-13 years an opportunity to explore science concepts using simple step-by-step hands-on experiments. The "program-in-a-box" requires students to carefully assemble their project and think about the practical applications of the science principle - different from the memory work they would usually do in conventional classes.
The Agilent After School program has reached thousands of children all over the world. In Asia, it has also made learning science a wonderful experience of discovery and fun for thousands of children from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China and Singapore. In Malaysia, such workshops have been conducted for more than 700 students and teachers.
Europe - United Kingdom
Earth Day 2003, 22 April 2003
Agilent sites in the United Kingdom used Earth Day as an opportunity to highlight the company's impact on the world in which we live and its goals for being a responsible corporate citizen. The day was marked with a variety of events involving both employees and the local community. Employees were introduced to the concepts of sustainability, energy management, water conservation, waste management and wildlife conservation and asked to look at how they can reduce their impact on the environment. As a company, one of Agilent's goals is to increase its solid waste diversion rate by 5 per cent this year
At South Queensferry, a collage on Global Warming by young students from the neighboring Dalmeny Primary School took pride of place at the Earth Day Fair. Community involvement was on the agenda with a call for volunteers to help when children visit the site's Wildlife Garden and at a local beach clean-up. Employees were encouraged to think about waste recycling both at work and at home and a cycle-to-work week enticed employees to leave the car behind.
For most UK sites, this was the first year that Earth Day has been marked by Agilent. Tom White, Senior Vice President and UK General Manager, said, "Being a good corporate citizen is very important for Agilent and Earth Day has obviously generated a lot of interest in the environment and how to preserve it. If we can all do something extra to help Agilent act in an environmentally responsible manner then Agilent will be an even better corporate citizen."
See Agilent's Environment and Social Responsibility Report for more information.
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