When Merck created the Merck Institute for Science Education (MISE) more then ten years ago, the Company made a commitment to engage children in science and help improve science teaching in elementary and middle schools. The reason for the Company's commitment is simple. Science is the lifeline of its business, and its success depends on a talented pool of scientists who discover and develop novel medicines and vaccines.

But Merck’s commitment to MISE extends beyond the needs of its business. It focuses on the needs of our children and their teachers. Our approach to science teachers is supported by one of the basic premises of a report issued by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, which says: "What teachers know and can do is the most important influence on what students learn."

Led by education professionals, MISE offers a fresh vision and new ideas to its partner districts. Its many programs, like the Leader Teacher Institute and Peer Teacher Workshops, provide teachers with the resources they need to better engage students in science.

Through this work, MISE has established a national reputation as a premier organization that helps enhance the learning experiences of thousands of students and changes their attitudes toward science. The impact of the Merck Institute for Science Education has even caught the attention of The White House, which, in 2001, recognized the Institute’s many achievements with the Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership, and of the National Science Foundation, which in 2003, awarded MISE and a regional partnership of schools and education organizations a $7.1 million grant to strengthen science and mathematics education.

Looking to the future, Merck pledges its continued support of the Merck Institute for Science Education. MISE will continue its relationships with current partner schools and will forge new ones, broadening its commitment to include new school districts.