This summer, the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Curiosity Cube — a shipping container turned mobile science lab located at MilliporeSigma’s R&D facility in Midtown — hosted a STEM-based summer enrichment session and invited VIPs to celebrate the unveiling of some very special artwork.
Every year, the Curiosity Cube gets a fresh coat of paint and is restocked with scientific equipment for new experiments. However, this year, the fleet of four Curiosity Cubes are adorned with the bright, eager faces of kids who are excited about science and who happen to be the children of MilliporeSigma employees.
These employees work in roles ranging from project management and human resources to manufacturing and supply chain, representing the variety of STEM-related careers offered by MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.
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This is just one way the company shows students that there are many job possibilities if they choose STEM as their field of study. In fact, recent research from MilliporeSigma shows that a barrier to entry to pursuing STEM as a career is that students don’t know what jobs exist in the field of study.
“Having my daughter’s photograph on the Curiosity Cube means she gets to make her passion for STEM a reality. At the end of the day, it’s really hard to be what you can’t see,†said Margarett Wolf, associate director of communications. “Kids already possess natural skills and interest in activities that encourage curiosity and experimentation, are finding it hard to see themselves as scientists or engineers. It’s important for us, especially parents, to try and link their enthusiasm for STEM activities into careers.â€
The “Faces of the Cube†campaign is designed to represent the future of science. A from MilliporeSigma revealed that children are already natural scientists and budding engineers, as their favorite activities include building things (56%), exploring (52%) and taking toys apart (34%). Middle-schoolers enjoy STEM-related classes, with most calling math and science fun (60%) and exciting (57%).
To encourage students to connect their STEM curiosity to potential career options, MilliporeSigma helps bridge the gap with its employee and community engagement programs. These initiatives assist educators in providing hands-on STEM learning opportunities and illustrate diverse career options for their students.
Through its SPARK global employee volunteer program, the company focuses on skills-based volunteer opportunities centered around science education, which aim to increase access to hands-on STEM learning. This includes its Curiosity Labs program, where employees go to classrooms and conduct interactive experiments with students, and its Curiosity Cube, which launched in 2017, bringing students out of the classroom and into the mobile lab, reaching even more future scientists and their families.
To ensure hands-on STEM experiences for those who may not have access to these opportunities, the company prioritizes selecting schools and locations to reach students in underserved and under-resourced communities. Since its inception in 2016, SPARK has positively impacted more than 387,000 students in 46 countries around the world.
To learn more about the Curiosity Cube mobile science lab and view the 2024 tour schedule, visit and follow the Curiosity Cube on Instagram @curiositycube_milliporesigma. To learn more about MilliporeSigma and STEM careers, visit .