THOUSAND OAKS,
Calif. and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Amgen
Foundation today announced the renewal of a $3
million grant to Khan Academy to support several
key learning initiatives, including virtual biology lessons;
partnerships with school districts facing budget shortfalls; and a
collaboration with LabXchange, a new online science learning
platform launched by Harvard and the
Amgen Foundation earlier this year.
The Amgen Foundation has committed nearly $7 million over five years to advance Khan
Academy's science lessons and public school partnerships. This
year, as COVID-19 is expected to cause learning loss and exacerbate
inequality in education, the Amgen Foundation and Khan Academy are
committed to doing everything they can to keep all students
learning. Khan Academy has grown its biology offering, with the
Amgen Foundation's support, to more than 380 videos, 150 exercise
sets and 250 articles. These free biology lessons are used by
students across the country and around the world during distance
learning.
"We understand the pressures many people face during this
unprecedented time and the ambiguity about what in-person learning
will look like going forward. What's more, we know students and
teachers of color are disproportionately impacted," said
Eduardo Cetlin, president of the
Amgen Foundation. "Khan Academy is playing an important role in
helping address inequity in education during the pandemic through
its free educational resources. We're proud to continue and
expand our strong partnership and help keep students on track for
success."
As school districts determine if they can re-open campuses, they
are facing unprecedented financial pressure. The Amgen Foundation
is committed to strengthening communities where Amgen staff members
live and work, and to that end, part of its renewed funding
supports two school districts in Southern
California that are partners of Khan Academy. Both
districts, Paramount Unified School District and Hueneme Elementary
School District, serve primarily students of color and face looming
budget shortfalls.
"This school year is likely to be challenging, so we're deeply
grateful for the support we're receiving from the Amgen Foundation
and Khan Academy," said Dr. Ruth Pérez, superintendent of Paramount
Unified School District in Paramount,
California. "Our partnership will allow teachers to provide
personalized instruction while we gain important insights about
student progress across our district."
Dr. Christine Walker,
superintendent of Hueneme Elementary School District in
Port Hueneme, California, said,
"We're excited about our new partnership with Amgen and Khan
Academy. We're starting the year 100% remote and Khan Academy will
be an integral part of our instructional program. In the future
when we return to the classroom, we know that teachers and students
can easily transition to using Khan at school."
The Amgen Foundation, the exclusive sponsor of Khan
Academy's biology content, has supported the development of
Khan Academy's biology lessons since 2015. Usage of the lessons
grew to more than two million monthly users during the last school
year.
"The Amgen Foundation has demonstrated a deep commitment to
science education for many years and we're honored by the renewed
support," said Khan Academy founder and CEO Sal
Khan. "The funding allows us to create new biology lessons
that will enrich the classroom experience for students and teachers
everywhere, while also providing important support to local school
districts in a time of deep need. "
The Amgen Foundation's renewed commitment will also formalize
Khan Academy's partnership with LabXchange, a free online
science
education platform that provides students
around the world with access to personalized instruction,
next-generation virtual lab experiences and networking
opportunities across the global scientific community.
Learn more about the science resources available through Khan
Academy by visiting khanacademy.org/science/biology.
About the Amgen Foundation
The Amgen Foundation seeks to advance excellence in science
education to inspire the next generation of innovators, and invest
in strengthening communities where Amgen staff members live and
work. To date, the Foundation has donated over $325 million to local, regional, and
international nonprofit organizations that impact society in
inspiring and innovative ways. The Amgen Foundation brings the
excitement of discovery to the scientists of tomorrow through
several signature programs, including Amgen Scholars and the Amgen
Biotech Experience. For more information, visit AmgenInspires.com
and follow us on Twitter @AmgenFoundation.
About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for
patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering,
developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human
therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced
human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and
understand the fundamentals of human biology.
Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages
its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes
and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer
since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's
leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions
of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of
medicines with breakaway potential.
For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow
us on Twitter @Amgen.
About Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the
mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone,
anywhere. Khan Academy's platform includes more than 70,000
practice problems, as well as videos and articles that cover a
range of K–12 subjects. For children ages two to seven we offer an
award-winning free app, Khan Academy Kids. Our learning system is
mastery based, which allows students to master key concepts at a
pace that's right for them before moving on to more challenging
content. We partner with school districts across the country and
around the world that serve students who traditionally face
barriers to academic success. Nearly 20 million learners use Khan
Academy every month in 190 countries and more than 40 languages. As
a nonprofit, Khan Academy relies on donations from foundations,
corporations and individuals around the world, as well as earned
revenue. For more information, please see research findings about
Khan Academy and our press page.
CONTACT:
Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Megan Fox, 805-447-1423 (Media)
Trish Rowland, 805-447-5631 (Media)
Khan Academy
(650) 429-8154
press@khanacademy.org
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SOURCE Amgen