Raytheon commits $1m for teacher scholarships

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Waltham defense contractor Raytheon Co. said it will establish teacher scholarships through a $1 million gift that supports the Engineering is Elementary program developed by the Museum of Science, Boston.

The museum’s Engineering is Elementary, or EiE, program has drawn up an elementary-school curriculum that provides courses where students work together to apply their knowledge of science and math in creative ways.

In a press release, Raytheon said its donation will fund the training of educators throughout the nation to prepare them to deliver the EiE curriculum to their classrooms.

The donation was announced today by Raytheon chairman and chief executive William H. Swanson during a speech to the 2011 Massachusetts STEM Summit in Newton.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and Raytheon has been a long-time supporter of programs that encourage the teaching of STEM subjects in school.

Earlier this month, Raytheon made a separate $1 million donation to the museum’s EiE program.That donation will fund the expansion of EiE training hubs beyond Boston and establish new development centers for educators in Washington, D.C.; Phoenix, Ariz;, and Huntsville, Ala.