The Elsevier Foundation and New York Academy of Sciences celebrate RE Cares Day in the Big Apple

by Laura Schmitz

Kick off by Head of House Alexander van Boetzelaer and Cherise Bernard, Senior Manager, US Engagement Program.

Over the past 10 years, the Elsevier Foundation has invested a decade of programming and millions of dollars to advance women in science. This year it added new partnerships supporting underserved youth and science and health education in New York, London, and Amsterdam.

The celebration of September’s RE Cares Month across Elsevier came as the perfect opportunity to invite guests from one of the newest Elsevier Foundation partnerships with the New York Academy of Science (NYAS). 

On September 22^nd, Alexander Van Boetzelaer, Managing Director Corporate Research and Development, kicked the event off, saying “As head of house here in NY, it’s my special pleasure to celebrate our commitment to our own local communities. Our goal is to use our unique strengths as a business to give back by supporting education for disadvantaged youth.”

NYAS guest speakers Jacqueline Kravetz, Kristian Breton and Stephanie Wortel-London introduced volunteering opportunities, including the “Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program (ASPM)”.

“This program trains graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to teach hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities to more than 1,300 fourth- through eighth-graders each year,” noted Cherise Bernard, Senior Manager, US Engagement Program, as she introduced the NYAS partnership on behalf of the Elsevier Foundation, “The STEM professionals and mentors have spent more than 100,000 instructional hours with students in low-resource settings.  With funding from the Elsevier Foundation, NYAS will be able to expand this program into geographically isolated neighborhoods across New York City.”

During the event, Taylor Stang, US Marketing and Partnerships Manager, worked the room, reaching out to many of the 70 colleagues attending to learn more about volunteering opportunities at NYAS.

Interested volunteers can choose between in person or virtual mentoring programs. In person volunteering activities consist of the After School Stem Mentoring Program and Family Science Nights. Particularly close to the Elsevier Foundation’s legacy is the virtual mentoring program of 1000 Girls, 1000 Futuresaiming to build a robust pipeline for female high-school students to pursue STEM careers.

Elsevier Foundation Program Director Ylann Schemm noted “In short, we’ve brought two great traditions together—RE Cares and the Elsevier Foundation. Colleagues can use those two volunteering days to get involved in one our newest partnerships to make science and health education accessible to all kids, whether in New York City, London or Amsterdam.”