Bristol Myers Squibb and the charter school Foundation Academies (FA) said Dec. 12 that the pharmaceutical giant donated $32,500 to help create a state-of-the art chemistry lab at a new FA Collegiate campus opening in August 2026 and expanding STEM opportunities for students in Trenton.
This project marks a transformative step for FA scholars by introducing Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry for the first time at Foundation Academies. With BMS’s investment, students gain access to college-level science education, empowering them to earn college credit, pursue STEM degrees and build pathways to high-impact careers.
The grant reflects BMS’s commitment to advancing educational opportunities for all and cultivating the next generation of innovators.
“By providing our scholars with AP Chemistry, we are proving that excellence is not reserved for select zip codes or private institutions,” said Foundation Academies Chief Executive Officer Sheria McRae, who grew up in Trenton, graduated from Howard University and returned to her hometown as an educator with her family. “We are investing in their futures, in their capacity to innovate, and in their right to stand shoulder to shoulder with peers nationwide in the highest levels of academic achievement.”
Through BMS’s Community Giving Program, the company provides financial support to improve STEM education in schools and community organizations where employees live and work. Coupled with the financial support are employee volunteer efforts that serve organizations of the employees’ choosing.
“At Bristol Myers Squibb, we believe that access to advanced science education is critical to unlocking opportunity,” said Sally John, Research STEM Executive Sponsor, Bristol Myers Squibb. “By supporting Foundation Academies in bringing AP Chemistry to Trenton students for the first time, we’re helping to build a pipeline of future innovators who will shape the next generation of scientific breakthroughs.”
Foundation Academies is a free, public charter school educating more than 1,200 students in kindergarten through Grade 12 in Trenton. FA Collegiate includes more than 400 students in grades 9-12. FA opened in 2007, and in May 2025, broke ground on a third campus, transforming an abandoned factory into a high school and enhancing the South Ward neighborhood in Trenton. The new campus, opening in August 2026, will more than double the space of the existing high school.
“Our new campus and advanced learning curriculum will signal to our scholars that they belong in the laboratories, research institutions, and universities where the next generation of discoveries will be made,” said FA Chief Advancement Officer Genevieve King. “We are creating a campus where talent is discovered, nurtured, and shared — because Trenton is not a place to leave, but a place to lead.”
