Thirty-nine Nobel Laureates and Leaders of Corporate America Launch Initiative to Reform Science Education

$5 Million Campaign Is A Joint Project of The American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers

Thirty-nine Nobel laureates have joined with top corporate leaders to launch The Campaign for Physics, a joint effort of The American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers, to raise $5 million toward reforming science education. Honorary Chair William Hewlett, Hewlett-Packard Company, heads the Campaign's Executive Committee, which also includes Robert Allen, AT&T; Norman Augustine, Lockheed Martin Corporation; Robert Galvin, Motorola, Inc.; Gordon Moore, Intel Corporation; Lewis Platt, Hewlett-Packard Company and George Soros, Philanthropist.

Hewlett considers the Campaign an imperative. "Without improved science education, the nation is at risk of raising a new generation that is unable to function effectively in a world where scientific understanding is essential to economic competitiveness and national security." Nicolaas Bloembergen, Chair of the Campaign Council of Nobel Laureates, believes that this initiative will contribute significantly to the reform of science education. "The carefully developed programs of the Campaign will make a dramatic difference in elementary through graduate level science teaching, benefitting students, teachers, industry and our nation." The Campaign's programs are designed to take maximum advantage of the expertise of the 50,000 members of The American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers, two of the nation's leading scientific societies.

The Campaign for Physics will support five initiatives:

• The Teacher-Scientist Alliance Institute trains research scientists from universities, laboratories and corporations to partner with local K-12 teachers.
• The Physics Teacher Resource Agent Program prepares experienced, well-qualified physical science teachers to mentor teachers at the middle and high school levels.
• The Physical Science Resource Center provides a clearinghouse of the best in physical science teaching technologies and methods, creating a nationwide resource network.
• The Minority Scholarship Program for Undergraduate Physics Majors supports and encourages talented minority students interested in majoring in physics.
• The Academic-Industrial-Government Roundtables promote academic-industry cooperation to ensure that graduating scientists are equipped to make maximum use of their skills in today's industrial marketplace.