Pi Day is a big deal for Raytheon

Globe Staff

Even as we speak, hundreds of apple pies are being readied for delivery to math and science teachers at public middle and high schools located within a 3.14-mile radius of Raytheon Co. headquarters in Waltham.

That's because today is Pi Day, as in March 14 (3/14), and Pi, the mathematical constant, is equal roughly to 3.14, notes a Raytheon press release. A big extracurricular activity for defense contractor Raytheon is encouraging young students to pursue math and science careers. To that end, Raytheon sponsors a program called MathMovesU.

In a similar vein, Raytheon is celebrating Pi Day as a way to show appreciation to math and science teachers. One part of this effort is making a Pi Day badge available on Facebook, shareable from www.facebook.com/mathmovesu and www.mathmovesu.com.

In a statement, Raytheon vice president of corporate affairs and communications Pam Wickham said: "Our employees - so many of whom are engineers - are extremely grateful to teachers who spend each day encouraging and inspiring today's students to become tomorrow's innovators. We hope this small gesture of gratitude will encourage others to show their appreciation for these educators, while helping to drive awareness and interest in STEM beyond the classroom walls."

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.