WALTHAM, Mass., Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) today announced it will establish the Raytheon-EiE Teacher Scholarship Program through a $1 million gift in support of the Museum of Science, Boston's Engineering is Elementary® (EiE) program. The donation will fund the training and readiness of thousands of educators throughout the nation to prepare them to effectively deliver the EiE curriculum into their classrooms. Raytheon Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson announced the gift during his keynote address at today's 2011 Massachusetts STEM Summit event held in Newton, Mass.

The Raytheon-EiE Teacher Scholarship Program, part of the company's MathMovesU® initiative, will accelerate the adoption of the specialized EiE curriculum in elementary schools, with a particular focus on those located in inner city, rural and disadvantaged areas. By providing $200,000 in teacher scholarships annually over the next five years, the program will facilitate the attendance and participation by teachers in EiE training workshops and provide them with access to EiE course materials.

This new commitment builds upon Raytheon's $1 million sponsorship of the museum's EiE program announced on October 5, 2011. That initial gift will fund the expansion of EiE training hubs beyond Boston, establishing new professional development centers for educators to be located in Washington, D.C., Phoenix, Ariz., and Huntsville, Ala.

The research-based, standards-driven EiE program integrates the basic concepts and skills of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the form of a classroom-proven curriculum that has already reached more than 27,000 teachers and 2.5 million students in the U.S.

In his address today, Mr. Swanson said that "STEM is the foundation of innovation in this era of global competitiveness. It is critically important for the U.S. to have a strong STEM pipeline so our nation can continue to be a leader in innovation." He urged the broader business community to actively support STEM education initiatives, pointing out that businesses have much to contribute to this critically important endeavor, including:

• Visibility into workforce trends and needs,
• A results-oriented focus,
• Marketing skills,
• Public policy advocacy,
• Corporate philanthropy, and
• Employee volunteers who use science, technology, engineering and math every day.

The Raytheon-EiE Teacher Scholarship Program is the latest addition to the company's roster of educational scholarships and grants that also includes MathMovesU Middle School Scholarships, Math Hero Awards program and the Raytheon Scholars program. Interested applicants can find more information at www.mathmovesu.com

About The Museum of Science, Boston's Engineering is Elementary® Program

Initiated in 2003, the Museum's EiE program taps into the natural curiosity of elementary school children to cultivate their understanding of engineering and technology. Its curriculum provides a structure for teamwork as students work together to apply their knowledge of science and math in creative ways, and to design, create, and improve possible solutions. EiE is one of seven programs chosen by Change the Equation as part of President Obama's "Educate to Innovate" campaign to improve STEM education. Raytheon is a corporate member of Change the Equation.

About MathMovesU

Raytheon's MathMovesU program is committed to increasing middle and elementary school students' interest in math and science education by engaging them in hands-on, interactive activities. The innovative programs of MathMovesU include Raytheon's Sum of all Thrills™ experience at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot®, which showcases math in action as students design and experience their own thrill ride using math fundamentals; the "In the Numbers" game, a partnership with the New England Patriots on display at The Hall at Patriot Place™ presented by Raytheon; the company's ongoing sponsorship of the MATHCOUNTS® National Competition; and the MathMovesU scholarship and grant program providing more than $1 million in annual funding to students and teachers. Follow MathMovesU and other Raytheon community outreach programs on Twitter @RaytheonCSR.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2010 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 89 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.

www.raytheon.com

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SOURCE Raytheon Company