MilliporeSigma and ABC’s Hit Comedy Series “Abbott Elementary” Bring Hands-On STEM to Schools Nationwide

• Curiosity Cube mobile science lab offers students and teachers an opportunity to spark curiosity beyond the classroom 
• Research signals need to bring hands-on science to students to fill future STEM job pipeline 

BURLINGTON, Mass., September 9, 2024 /3BL/ - MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, is partnering with the Emmy^® and Golden Globe^® Award-winning ABC series “Abbott Elementary” to promote the Curiosity Cube—a solar-powered shipping container turned mobile science lab—program’s mission of raising awareness around STEM education. The partnership adds several stops to the Curiosity Cube tour, increasing access to high-quality, hands-on science experiences in some of the biggest cities in the U.S., including Boston, Houston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.

“Abbott Elementary” follows a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Ahead of the season four premiere this fall, students at 14 schools in five major U.S. cities will interact with real scientists at the Curiosity Cube. MilliporeSigma has a strong history of promoting STEM education, with its global employee volunteer program, SPARK™, engaging more than 439,000 students through hands-on science lessons since 2016.

“Working with Abbott Elementary, we are raising the visibility of STEM to inspire and empower students and teachers with ‘aha’ moments from hands-on learning experiences, which is critical to sparking interest in science,” said Tim M. Jaeger, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer for the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. “We hope visiting the Curiosity Cube will spark students’ scientific curiosity with a fun experience that helps lead to a future career in STEM.”

The STEM sector is outpacing other U.S. occupations, driving the demand for a diverse, skilled workforce. While 61% of middle schoolers show interest in STEM careers, 47% struggle to envision themselves as scientists, according to a MilliporeSigma survey conducted by Wakefield Research. Research shows that hands-on learning can bridge this gap by boosting confidence and critical thinking skills.

The Curiosity Cube allows visitors to connect with scientists who look like them and learn first-hand about STEM careers right in their own communities. This year, students will explore sustainability and the lifecycle of a t-shirt through three interactive experiments using modular electronics, digital microscopes and other scientific instruments, all led by local MilliporeSigma employees.

Since 2017, the Curiosity Cube has reached over 200,000 students in 14 countries across North America and Europe. For 2024, the goal is to impact 45,000 students or more, prioritizing those in underserved and under-resourced communities. In 2023, 95% of the schools that the Curiosity Cube visited identify as Title 1 schools, highlighting this commitment.

Season four of “Abbott Elementary” premieres on Wednesday, October 9, at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, next day on Hulu. Previous seasons are available to stream on Hulu.

Visit TheCuriosityCube.com to learn more about the Curiosity Cube mobile science lab, view the 2024 tour schedule and experience the Curiosity Cube app. Follow the Curiosity Cube on Instagram @curiositycube_milliporesigma.

About the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany  

The Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada, has more than 28,000 employees and more than 55 total manufacturing and testing sites worldwide, with a portfolio of more than 300,000 products focused on scientific discovery, biomanufacturing and testing services. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and electronics.  

Around 63,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2023, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of € 21 billion in 65 countries. 

The company holds the global rights to the name and trademark “Merck” internationally. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare and EMD Electronics in electronics. Since its founding in 1668, scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to the company’s technological and scientific advances. To this day, the founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. For more information about Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, visit www.emdgroup.com.  

Follow MilliporeSigma on Twitter @MilliporeSigma, on Facebook @MilliporeSigma and on LinkedIn.  

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About Abbott Elementary

In this workplace comedy, a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible educators may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don't love the school district's less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.