January 25, 2019

Media Contact:
Heather Thorstensen
Manager of Communications
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society
hthorstensen@sigmaxi.org or (919) 549-4691 ext. 216

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC—A public effort is underway across the United States to support high school science teachers and students. It started last November on Giving Tuesday, when science supporters donated more than $14,000. That was enough to send one-year subscriptions of the award-winning magazine American Scientist  to 650 high schools. 

Schools began receiving the magazines this month. The list of schools was built from public recommendations. (See the school list.)

The only stipulation of the fundraiser was that the magazines would benefit schools located in a state that has had proposals or laws that would threaten science education. At first, the goal was to send magazines to schools in 10 states by raising $5,000, but that grew to supporting schools in 22 states as more and more donations came in. At least 22 states—nearly half of America—have faced proposals that could negatively change how science is taught in public classrooms, ranging from allowing the teaching of alternate views of scientific concepts—such as evolution and climate change—to enabling residents to oppose science textbooks. 

American Scientist’s publisher, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society, organized the fundraiser to give teachers and students a supplemental source of evidence-based information in their classrooms. The magazine is about science, technology, and engineering and is written by researchers. 

The public responded with the names of 650 schools in just a matter of weeks when Sigma Xi asked for help finding schools. Schools will receive all six issues of the magazine during the year. Sigma Xi hopes to grow the campaign by raising enough money this Giving Tuesday—December 3, 2019—to keep the subscriptions free for all 650 schools and to add more schools to the list.