Dow’s impact on education around Midland

On May 18, Dow celebrated its 125th anniversary in business. The Midland Daily News has explored the company, foundation and family’s impact on local institutions of impact throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region. 

Delta College looks back on Dow Impact

Delta College in Midland 

The STEM Explorer program reaches out to middle and high school students in the Great Lakes Bay Region, as well as to our local communities. Since we make multiple trips to high schools during the Deep Dive projects (with multiple student contacts at each school), our “contacts” jump from 29,400 to 38,300 overall.

Through the end of 2019, the STEM Explorer visited schools in 13 counties in and around the Great Lakes Bay Region- Bay, Saginaw, Arenac, Midland, Tuscola, Sanilac, Huron, Oscoda, Clare, Isabella, Gratiot, Iosco and Genesee.

Elements of the project include an interdisciplinary approach, bringing multiple topics together in lesson plans, a project-based activities and hands-on opportunities. 

As of November 2019, we have worked with over 29,400 individual students, teachers, and community members while making over 300 school and event visits:

· 2016-17- 7,500 (inaugural year)

· 2017-18- 10,000

· 2018-19- 8,500

· Fall of 2019 – 3,978 and on pace for another 9,000-10,000 for the year.

Delta College looks back at Dow’s impact

Saginaw Valley State University in University Center

Throughout our history, SVSU has benefited greatly from Dow as a company, as well as from the Dow family and their charitable foundations.

In recent years, Dow has partnered with SVSU to support a variety of community engagement initiatives, including a teacher fellowship program and a Chief Science Officers program that are each designed to boost STEM teaching and learning throughout our region. Similarly, Dow supported a mobile STEM lab that travels to K-12 schools and other sites to provide students with access to labs and learning.

In addition, Dow provides many SVSU students with internship and co-op opportunities. The company also hires many SVSU graduates; currently more than 500 SVSU alumni are employed by Dow.

Dow family names are also evident across our campus. Among the examples include the Doan Center, one of our oldest facilities, which includes our main cafeteria. It is named for Leland Doan, a Dow president who also served on SVSU’s Board of Control. Alden Dow served as the architect for the project, which began in 1969 and was completed in 1970; there have been expansions since. SVSU’s Herbert Dow Doan Science Building was built in 1986 and named in honor of “Ted” Doan; it too has expanded in the years that followed.

“We are extremely grateful that Dow and the Dow family have invested so deeply and so consistently in SVSU over the years, and for our many ongoing partnerships,” said Don Bachand, SVSU President. “They long have understood that a vital public university is essential to the success of our community. Beyond the dollars – which have been considerable – we also have seen leaders of Dow, the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, and the Dow family serve on our Board of Control; their collective service has been a great asset to the growth and development of our university.”

SVSU also has received a number of major gifts from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, the Gerstacker Foundation, the Strosacker Foundation and others.

Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant

Dow Chemical Company and Foundation

· Annually fund the Dow Chemical SAP Award of Excellence (College of Business Administration)

· Annually fund the Dow Chemical Foundation Chemistry Scholarship (College of Science & Engineering)

· 2019 – Women, Technology & Leadership Conference held at CMU

· 2015 – CMU’s STEM Network Leader Program and STEM Professional Development for Educators

· 2012 – Named Large Discussion Room/Auditorium (College of Medicine)

· 2011 – Dow Chemical Medical Faculty Advancement and Leadership Fund (College of Medicine); (for faculty and students) to offer “year-round activities including monthly programs, on-site resources and individualized advising services to professional and voluntary medical educators.”

· 2008 – Donated Dow Products to assist in the construction of the Education and Human Services Building

· 2006 – CMU-Dow China Daily Program

· 2003 – PBS (Public Broadcasting) to assist in their move to Digital TV

· 1999 – Dow Accounting Classroom (Grawn Hall)

· 1992 – Teacher Prep Technology in Science

· 1987 – Applied Business Science Complex (now is Grawn Hall)

Dow Corning Company and Foundation

· 2012 – CMED Saginaw Facility

· 2008 – EHS GEMS (Great Explorations in Math and Science) Center

· 1987- Dow Corning CBA Executive in Residence – to promote executive involvement in the curriculum of CMU’s CBA

H.H. and G.A. Dow Foundation

· 2014 – Received CMU’s Foundation Partner Alumni Award

· 2015 – Endowment for STEM Teaching and Learning – to be used within the GLB Region to maximize STEM engagement and enrichment opportunities for middle school educators, students and their families.

· 2014 – Funded HP’s Multi-Specialty Mobile Health Clinic

· 2000 – Named Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions Building

· 2000 – Assisted with Public Broadcasting’s move to Digital TV

· 2000 – Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government

· 1987 – Donated to Dow Science Complex Stock Program

· 1986 – Donated to Brooks Hall renovation

Alden and Vada Dow Fund

· Regular contributor to Michigan Story Festival (2004-2008)

· Contributed to CMU’s Public Radio (1998-2003)

Northwood University in Midland