PNC Foundation chair and president Eva Blum was talking on the phone about the foundation's latest push to help preschoolers see how math is everywhere as she calculated the cab fare, tip and change on arrival at Reagan National Airport.

If only she'd had a preschooler with her, it would have been a perfect example of how adults can help children see how there's math in everyday life, from counting apples at a grocery store to paying for a cab ride.

Ms. Blum was on her way home from the White House, where the foundation's partnership with "Sesame Street" was among five partnerships highlighted by President Barack Obama yesterday as he launched the "Educate to Innovate" campaign.

All five partnerships are aimed at improving education in the STEM fields -- science, technology, engineering and math.

PNC Foundation is investing $7.5 million over two years in the highlighted partnership, part of its $100 million Grow Up Great campaign, a 10-year program that was started about five years ago.

"Sesame Street" will help prepare preschool activity kits for a new Grow Up Great initiative called Math is Everywhere, expected to be available by next fall.

This TV season and next, PNC Foundation also will help sponsor episodes of "Sesame Street" that will focus on science.

"We have believed for a while now, by looking at all the studies, that math and science education is critical to the future of our children," said Ms. Blum. "We believe very strongly it has to start very early. ... We're so happy that the president is endorsing this and putting the spotlight on this kind of training for children."

In April, PNC Foundation announced a Grow Up Great with Science program aimed at expanding science opportunities for preschool children in seven states and the District of Columbia. It pledged up to $6 million in three-year grants to 14 regional science centers and nonprofit organizations.

The other four partnerships highlighted by Mr. Obama are:

• Time Warner Cable's "Connect a Million Minds" campaign, with FIRST Robotics and the Coalition for Science After School, to connect more than 1 million students to after-school STEM activities.

• Discovery Communications' "Be the Future" campaign, with research universities and federal agencies, to create content, including a commercial-free children's segment on the Science Channel.

• National Lab Day, a partnership of science and engineering societies, to improve lab and discovery opportunities in grades six through 12.

• National STEM game design competitions, by the MacArthur Foundation, Sony Computer Entertainment America, the Entertainment Software Association and its partners.

Mr. Obama also announced an annual science fair at the White House and commitments by various leaders, including Sally Ride, the first woman in space, to increase support for STEM education.

Washington correspondent Daniel Malloy writes the "Pittsburgh On The Potomac" blog exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.