Our STEAM commitment

We have a longstanding commitment to inspire and equip the next generation to love science and pursue a career in STEM. Our STEAM education programs are all about getting young people excited about science early in life and showing them how fun and rewarding a career in our industry can be. Working with local educators and community organizations, we are intentional about creating opportunities for young women and students of color who have been traditionally underrepresented in biotech.

A Black female high school student conducting an experiment in Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Boston Learning Lab. She is wearing a lab coat, safety glasses and gloves, and holding a pipette.

We have a longstanding commitment to inspire and equip the next generation to love science and pursue a career in STEM. Our STEAM education programs are all about getting young people excited about science early in life and showing them how fun and rewarding a career in our industry can be. Working with local educators and community organizations, we are intentional about creating opportunities for young women and students of color who have been traditionally underrepresented in biotech.

Our STEAM initiatives

Our programs in Boston, San Diego and Oxford, U.K., have year-round opportunities for underresourced students in our communities, no matter where they are in their educational journey. 
 

An image of a posterboard with a drawing depicting the structure of DNA and RNA

Creating space for learning 

We bring science to life in our three on-site Learning Labs by taking classroom concepts and applying them to real-world problems. Our labs also give students access to technology and resources beyond what's available in school.  

 

 

Supporting STEAM in the community 

We partner with local educators and organizations to bring hands-on learning opportunities to more students in our communities. 

An image of two Black male high school students conducting an experiment in Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Boston Learning Lab. They are both wearing a lab coat, safety glasses and gloves, and they are each holding a pipette.

 

 

An image of two Year 12 students in Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Oxford, U.K., Research Site sitting at a table, looking at a laptop, and having a conversation with a female research scientist.

Developing careers

We equip students with the tools they need to succeed in a STEM career beyond the classroom. This includes scholarships, mentorships with Vertex employees and internships in our labs. 

 

Our Learning Labs

We started a first-of-its-kind partnership with Boston Public Schools in 2012 to bring more STEAM education opportunities to students.  

Thomas M. Menino Learning Lab 

The Thomas M. Menino Learning Lab is a 3,000-square-foot classroom and lab space in our Fan Pier site where Boston Public School teachers bring their students to meet and interact with Vertex employees and conduct hands-on experiments.  

Developing careers

An image of a male high school student conducting an experiment in Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Boston Learning Lab. He is wearing a lab coat, safety glasses and gloves, and loading a gel into a gel electrophoresis rig.
Internships

For aspiring, young STEM professionals, real-world lab experience is crucial — but can be hard to come by.  

Every summer for more than a decade, we offer paid summer internships to Boston Public Schools high school students and provide opportunities for students to explore the business of biotech, strengthen their STEM skills and knowledge, and cultivate a professional network. Our High School Summer Internship program is run in partnership with the Boston Private Industry Council and the Mayor’s Summer Jobs program. 

An image of a female high school student conducting an experiment in Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Boston Learning Lab. She is wearing a lab coat, safety glasses and gloves, and practicing pipetting technique.
Classroom enrichment 

Throughout the school year, we welcome teachers and classes from Boston Public Schools into our Learning Lab to experience science and the world of biotech firsthand. Students get to participate in experiments, like a cystic fibrosis polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection activity, and meet and interact with Vertex employees. 

Outside of our labs, we support field trips to the Boston Children’s Museum for younger students to explore the "power of play” and engage with exhibits that encourage curiosity and critical thinking. 

An image of a female high school student conducting an experiment in Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Boston Learning Lab. She is wearing a lab coat, safety glasses and gloves, and standing at a lab bench.
Science Leaders Scholarship

We started the Vertex Science Leaders Scholarship in 2014 as a fully funded scholarship for students pursing a STEM degree at any University of Massachusetts campus. The award also includes mentoring from a Vertex employee and summer internships while they pursue their degrees.  

Our partners at Bottom Line, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low-income and first-generation-to-college students get to and through college, also provide mentorship and support to our scholars. 


STEAM partners

Vertex and the Vertex Foundation support nonprofit organizations that help expand STEAM opportunities to more students in Boston, including:

San Diego is where our cystic fibrosis medicines were discovered and where we’re actively expanding our STEAM activities and outreach to support the San Diego community. 

San Diego Learning Lab

Established in 2018, the San Diego Learning Lab is a 1,500-square-foot lab where students from the San Diego Unified School District can meet Vertex employees and conduct hands-on, real-world experiments.

Developing careers

An image of two Vertex Pharmaceuticals employees (one female, one male) standing outside cutting balloons for a science experiment booth at the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering.
Supporting STEAM in the community

We have sponsored the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering since its inception in 2009, which reaches 26,000+ students and parents each year. In collaboration with our partner i2 Learning, we established STEM Week in San Diego. 

An image of a female high school intern at Vertex Pharmaceuticals' San Diego Research Site. She is sitting in a chair and looking at a laptop.
Internships

For aspiring STEM professionals, real-world lab experience is crucial — but can be hard to come by.

Every summer, we offer paid summer internships to San Diego Unified School District high school students and provide opportunities for students to explore the business of biotech, strengthen their STEM skills and knowledge, and cultivate a professional network.  

An image of two high school students (one female, one male) conducting an experiment in Vertex Pharmaceuticals' San Diego Learning Lab. They are both wearing lab coats and safety glasses.
Classroom enrichment 

Throughout the school year, we welcome teachers and classes from the San Diego Unified School District into our Learning Lab to experience science and the world of biotech firsthand. Students get to participate in experiments, like a designing a delayed release tablet, and meet and interact with Vertex employees.


STEAM partners

Vertex and the Vertex Foundation support nonprofit organizations that help expand STEAM opportunities to more students in San Diego, including:

Our employees in Oxford, U.K. love welcoming students to our research site, and we’re actively expanding our STEAM activities and outreach to support the local community. 

 

Oxford Learning Lab

Established and launched in 2021, our Oxford Learning Lab is a dedicated lab space for local students to meet Vertex employees and conduct hands-on, real-world experiments.

Entryway to the Vertex Learning Lab in Oxford, U.K.

Developing careers

An image of two Black, female Year 12 students in Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Oxford, U.K., Research Site sitting side by side at a desk with their laptops. One is writing in a notebook.
Internships

Every summer, we offer paid summer internships to Year 12 students in local Oxford and Didcot schools and provide opportunities for students to explore the business of biotech, strengthen their STEM skills and knowledge, and cultivate a professional network.

An image of a Black, male student conducting an experiment in Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Oxford, U.K., Learning Lab. He is wearing a lab coat, safety classes and gloves, and practicing pipetting technique.
Classroom enrichment 

Throughout the school year, we welcome teachers and classes from local Oxford and Didcot schools into our Learning Lab to experience science and the world of biotech firsthand. Students get to participate in experiments, like a sickle cell disease activity, and meet and interact with Vertex employees. 


STEAM partners

Vertex and the Vertex Foundation support nonprofit organizations that help expand STEAM opportunities to more students in Oxford, including:

STEM Learning: We partner with STEM Learning, a partnership of government, charitable trusts and employers dedicated to providing STEM education and career support. The Vertex Foundation supports their ENTHUSE program, which is a two-year program that combines teacher development with student activities to provide ongoing support to local schools.

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Science Oxford: Our support of Science Oxford, an independent charitable trust focused on encouraging and facilitating STEM programs, enables students to explore their love of science and appreciate its positive influence on society.   

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