Tag Archives: green chemistry education

Beyond Benign and Dow expand collaboration to advance Green Chemistry education

WILMINGTON, Mass. /ScoopCloud/ -- Today, Dow (NYSE: DOW), a global leader in materials science, and Beyond Benign, a nonprofit organization focused on making green chemistry an integral part of education, announce an expanded multi-year collaboration. Building upon a foundation of cooperation, both organizations aim to advance chemistry education by empowering educators with the tools and resources to incorporate green chemistry into higher education curricula.

The collaboration, fueled by Dow's commitment to sustainability, will bolster Beyond Benign's initiatives in several key areas:

* Expansion of the Green Chemistry Commitment program: Over the next three years, Beyond Benign plans to accelerate the recruitment of universities globally into its Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) program, an institutional approach to advancing green chemistry in higher education (currently, more than 160 have joined). This expansion will further the integration of green chemistry principles into academic institutions worldwide.

* Design of on-demand professional training in Green Chemistry: Beyond Benign and Dow will partner with educators to design a cutting-edge on-demand training program focused on green chemistry. This initiative will provide educators and industry professionals with accessible resources to enhance their understanding and teaching of sustainable chemistry practices.

* Green Chemistry Education Challenge awards: Beyond Benign will provide university awards to support the advancement of Green Chemistry in teaching, research and service for 15-30 university educator teams.

* Support for Dow employee volunteer opportunities: Dow employees will have opportunities to engage as advocates, educators and learners in Green Chemistry initiatives, amplifying the impact of this collaboration across communities.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand our efforts with Dow," says Amy Cannon, Beyond Benign Co-Founder and Executive Director. "This collaboration will allow us to deepen our connections with educators to provide key resources to train future scientists with the knowledge and skills to design safer chemical products. We will also provide support to universities through educational grants and peer support to enable further adoption of green chemistry in higher education."

With expanded support from Dow, Beyond Benign aims to collaborate globally, prioritizing relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) in the U.S. Beyond Benign seeks to increase participation of Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) in the GCC program to enhance the representation of scientists in the green chemistry field, empower faculty to integrate sustainability principles into chemistry education, and expand the diversity of the talent pool equipped to address critical sustainability challenges in alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

"Beyond Benign's commitment to advancing green chemistry education is inspiring," says Bob Plishka, global director of Strategic Corporate Partnerships and Dow Company Foundation president. "This collaboration reflects Dow's commitment to sustainability and STEM & skilled trades, empowering educators to instill environmental stewardship in the next generation of scientists."

Growing this collaboration symbolizes a significant stride in transforming chemistry education. Green chemistry places sustainability at the forefront of product and process design, providing the framework for scientists to address sustainability in the design stage of a product lifecycle. Supported by Dow, Beyond Benign launched the GCC 25×25 initiative in 2020, aiming to ensure 25% of graduating U.S. chemists possess green chemistry expertise by 2025. Over 107 U.S. universities, including many of Dow's academic partners, and over 160 universities globally have already joined, highlighting the widespread embrace and impact of green chemistry principles. To learn more about the GCC program and which universities have signed the pledge, please visit Beyond Benign's website: https://www.beyondbenign.org/he-green-chemistry-commitment/

About Beyond Benign:

Beyond Benign, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, envisions a world where the chemical building blocks of products used every day are healthy and safe for humans and the environment. Beyond Benign is fostering a green chemistry education community empowered to transform chemistry education for a sustainable future. Beyond Benign's continuum of sustainable science educational programs including, teacher and faculty training and curriculum development from K-20 are helping to build the next generation of scientists and citizens with the skills and knowledge to create and choose products that are safe for human health and the environment. Over the past 17 years, Beyond Benign has an extensive history of service, having trained over 6,500 K-12 teachers in sustainable science and green chemistry, designed over 200 open-access lessons, reached over 35,000 youth and community members through outreach, & partnered with over 160 universities to transform chemistry education. Together we can catalyze the development of green technological innovations that result in safer products and processes in support of a sustainable, healthy society.

Find us on X/Twitter @beyondbenign, on Instagram @beyondbenign, and follow us on Facebook @beyondbenign or LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-benign-inc/.

About Dow:

Dow (NYSE: DOW) is one of the world's leading materials science companies, serving customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Our global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation, leading business positions and commitment to sustainability enable us to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. We operate manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employ approximately 35,900 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $45 billion in 2023. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. Learn more about us and our ambition to be the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world by visiting https://www.dow.com/.

Today, Dow (NYSE: DOW), a global leader in materials science, and Beyond Benign, a nonprofit organization focused on making green chemistry an integral part of education, announce an expanded multi-year collaboration. Building upon a foundation of cooperation, both organizations aim to advance chemistry education by empowering educators with the tools and resources to incorporate green chemistry into higher education curricula.

Related link: https://www.beyondbenign.org/

Announcing the Launch of the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC)

WILMINGTON, Mass. /ScoopCloud/ -- Beyond Benign, in partnership with sponsors and partners including the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute (ACS GCI), is excited to announce the launch of the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC): an online hub for everyone in the green chemistry community to share, connect, learn, and grow together.

Developed in collaboration with green chemistry leaders and educators worldwide, the GCTLC is a dynamic virtual space where community members can develop connections, find mentors, share resources, and enhance their knowledge through peer-led learning.

"We created the GCTLC alongside passionate educators, industry partners and stakeholders within the green chemistry education community to ensure it truly serves everybody," said Dr. Jonathon Moir, GCTLC Senior Program Manager. "Because we cultivated this platform together, the GCTLC exists as a teaching and learning platform and also a living testament to the unity and collaboration underpinning our community."

Designed with K-12 educators, higher-ed faculty, and student leaders in mind, the GCTLC serves as a central meeting space for green chemistry enthusiasts to connect in real time.

"The GCTLC fills a big gap, particularly in the education space," said Dr. Glenn Hurst, Professor at University of York and GCTLC Leadership Committee Member. "The challenge to transform our community and make a real difference in the widespread integration of green chemistry into education is one the GCTLC is perfectly placed to address."

The GCTLC is a one-stop shop for everything green chemistry. Key features include:

* a robust community space where users can locate and connect with other community members based on profession, institution, and other key identifiers;

* an extensive library of valuable educational resources and curriculum materials from community members from across the world;

* forums and groups, allowing users to delve deeper into specific green chemistry topics and seek advice from their peers;

* and continued learning opportunities, including courses and special events.

"The GCTLC is a powerful resource that will drastically improve our teaching community's ability to collaborate, share, and, ultimately, adopt new green chemistry curriculum," said Dr. Adelina Voutchkova, ACS GCI Director of Sustainable Development. "We are proud to partner with Beyond Benign on this venture."

The overarching objective of the GCTLC is to advance the widespread incorporation of green chemistry principles within educational settings and, as a result, various industrial sectors.

"The green chemistry community is incredibly powerful when we unite to empower and inspire one another," said Dr. Amy Cannon, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Beyond Benign. "The GCTLC acts as a catalyst for our movement, providing a place for ideas and knowledge to flow freely in real time. We're excited to join educators and leaders throughout the world in this hub, where we'll have the opportunity to accelerate our impact."

MilliporeSigma, the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and the Argosy Foundation have played a pivotal role in the successful launch of the GCTLC through their generous funding. Additionally, this initiative has garnered crucial support from other foundational sponsors, including Cell Signaling Technology, BASF, Hexion, and the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Register to join the GCTLC platform at: https://gctlc.org/form/registration

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About Beyond Benign:

Beyond Benign, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit envisions a world where the chemical building blocks of products used every day are healthy and safe for humans and the environment. Beyond Benign's mission is to foster a green chemistry community that empowers educators to transform chemistry education for a sustainable future. Beyond Benign is working to equip educators from K-20 with the ability to teach chemistry and STEM through a lens of sustainability grounded in the 12 principles of green chemistry. By providing educators with tools, training and a peer support network, educators are equipped to train the next generation of scientists and citizens with the skills and knowledge to create and choose products that are safe for human health and the environment.

Co-founded in 2007 by Dr. John Warner, the co-founder of the field of green chemistry, and Dr. Amy Cannon, who holds the world's first Ph.D. in Green Chemistry, Beyond Benign has an extensive history of service. Over the past 15 years, Beyond Benign has trained over 6,500 K-12 teachers in sustainable science and green chemistry, designed over 200 open-access lessons, reached over 35,000 youth and community members through outreach, & partnered with 140 universities to transform chemistry education. Together we can catalyze the development of green technological innovations that result in safer products and processes in support of a sustainable, healthy society.

Learn more: http://beyondbenign.org/

Learn more about the GCTLC platform at: https://gctlc.org/

Beyond Benign, in partnership with sponsors and partners including the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute (ACS GCI), is excited to announce the launch of the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC): an online hub for everyone in the green chemistry community to share, connect, learn, and grow together.

Related link: https://www.beyondbenign.org/

Beyond Benign Launches Initiative to Support Green Chemistry Educators at Minority-Serving Higher Education Institutions

WILMINGTON, Mass. /ScoopCloud/ -- Beyond Benign announced a new Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Initiative, designed to provide green chemistry educational support for faculty and students at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). Being built and executed in collaboration with MSIs, the initiative is intended to ensure the next generation of world-class chemists and scientific leaders are reflective of the diversity of the global community and prepared to address sustainability through chemistry.

"It is critical that MSI leadership and expertise is included in the growing green chemistry education community. The inclusion and involvement of institutions that serve students from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities into our Green Chemistry Commitment program is central in ensuring the talent pool of sustainable scientists is diverse and equipped with a diversity of perspectives and approaches that will solve global and local challenges," says Dr. Amy Cannon, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Beyond Benign.

The key objectives of this initiative include: partnering with MSI chemistry and science departments, through funding opportunities, professional development and leadership opportunities, to evolve chemistry teaching and practice at their institutions to include green chemistry and sustainable science; building inclusive, diverse community spaces for MSI and BIPOC faculty to collaborate, learn, and share about green chemistry; and engaging and supporting green chemistry student leaders.

The MSI initiative is a critical component of the Beyond Benign Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) 25x25 program, which seeks to ensure that 25 percent of graduating chemists in the U.S. have a background in green chemistry by 2025. The Commitment program offers higher education institutions a flexible model to expand green chemistry education through their science departments. Through signing the GCC, higher education institutions become part of a broad network advocating for green chemistry education, and gain access to professional development opportunities, funding opportunities, mentorship, peer-to-peer support, and much more.

Through this initiative, Beyond Benign will conduct outreach and discussions with faculty members across a variety of MSIs to better understand the unique needs and challenges they face in incorporating green chemistry into their classrooms, labs, and departments. By bringing their leadership and expertise to the table, MSI faculty will help shape adaptable models to scale green chemistry educational programming for higher education students across the nation. Beyond Benign intends to support MSI faculty in their green chemistry work with resources, peer networks, and funding and professional development opportunities.

About Beyond Benign:

Beyond Benign, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit envisions a world where the chemical building blocks of products used every day are healthy and safe for humans and the environment. Beyond Benign's mission is to foster a green chemistry community that empowers educators to transform chemistry education for a sustainable future. Beyond Benign is working to equip educators from K-20 with the ability to teach chemistry and STEM through a lens of sustainability grounded in the 12 principles of green chemistry. By providing educators with tools, training and a peer support network, educators are equipped to train the next generation of scientists and citizens with the skills and knowledge to create and choose products that are safe for human health and the environment.

Co-founded in 2007 by Dr. John Warner, the co-founder of the field of green chemistry, and Dr. Amy Cannon, who holds the world's first Ph.D. in Green Chemistry, Beyond Benign has an extensive history of service. Over the past 15 year, Beyond Benign has trained over 6,500 K-12 teachers in sustainable science and green chemistry, designed over 200 open-access lessons, reached over 35,000 youth and community members through outreach, & partnered with 103 universities to transform chemistry education. Together we can catalyze the development of green technological innovations that result in safer products and processes in support of a sustainable, healthy society.

Learn more at: https://www.beyondbenign.org/

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RELATED LINKS:

https://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/2022%20MSI%20List.pdf

Beyond Benign announced a new Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Initiative, designed to provide green chemistry educational support for faculty and students at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). Being built and executed in collaboration with MSIs, the initiative is intended to ensure the next generation of world-class chemists and scientific leaders are reflective of the diversity of the global community and prepared to address sustainability through chemistry.

Related link: https://www.beyondbenign.org/

Beyond Benign Launches Its Green Chemistry Commitment 25×25 Initiative

WILMINGTON, Mass. /ScoopCloud/ -- Beyond Benign, a green chemistry education nonprofit, today announced the launch of its Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) 25x25 Initiative, working to ensure that 25 percent of graduating chemists in the US have a background in green chemistry by 2025 with the support of Beyond Benign partner Dow (NYSE: DOW). The initiative comes at a time when today's societal challenges are immense, as articulated through the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Beyond Benign's Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) is dedicated to integrating green chemistry and toxicology concepts into chemistry programs with the goal of providing students with the skills to design chemical products and processes to reduce human and environmental hazards. With 64 US signers to date, accounting for 8% of graduating chemists, the GCC program is working to create a systemic change in chemistry education, inspiring additional institutions to pursue and integrate green chemistry. With this new initiative of ensuring 25 percent of chemistry students graduate with a background in green chemistry, Beyond Benign is taking new action to extend the GCC reach and resources to achieve this goal over the next four years. Learn more: https://www.beyondbenign.org/he-green-chemistry-commitment/.

"We believe that by supporting educators and students to teach and learn green chemistry, we are equipping the next generation of scientists and citizens to design and select products that support both human health and the environment," says Amy Cannon, Director and Co-Founder of Beyond Benign. "With chemistry at the foundation of any sustainable solution, we are excited about the potential this initiative brings to build a critical mass of green chemists in the workforce."

To achieve the ambitious goal of preparing the workforce for sustainable action, per the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG 4.7), Beyond Benign will provide resources and support to interested institutions. This support includes an assessment of current chemistry and green chemistry programs, recommended lessons to incorporate into their curriculum and labs, an annual Green Chemistry Commitment Summit to bring all signers together, financial resources and on-going support for mentors, teachers, faculty and staff.

"It is imperative that our incoming workforce is prepared to design, create and produce sustainable solutions for the well-being of humanity," says Eunice Heath, Corporate Director of Sustainability for Dow. "Through Beyond Benign's aggressive GCC 25x25 initiative, we will be able to make a lasting impact on education, science and the global market."

Since 2007, Beyond Benign has integrated green chemistry into K-12 and higher education institutions through teacher training, lesson plans, community networks, webinars, and events. Institutions that are interested in incorporating green chemistry in their classrooms and labs can inquire about participating in the Green Chemistry Commitment by visiting the Beyond Benign website to learn more: https://www.beyondbenign.org/he-how-to-commit/

About Beyond Benign:

Beyond Benign, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, envisions a world where the chemical building blocks of products used every day are healthy and safe for humans and the environment. Beyond Benign is fostering a green chemistry education community empowered to transform chemistry education for a sustainable future. Beyond Benign's continuum of sustainable science educational programs including, teacher and faculty training and curriculum development from K-20 are helping to build the next generation of scientists and citizens with the skills and knowledge to create and choose products that are safe for human health and the environment.

Over the past 13 years, Beyond Benign has an extensive history of service, having trained over 6,000 K-12 teachers in sustainable science and green chemistry, designed over 200 open-access lessons, reached over 25,000 youth and community members through outreach, & partnered with 75 universities to transform chemistry education. Together we can catalyze the development of green technological innovations that result in safer products and processes in support of a sustainable, healthy society.

Learn more at: https://www.beyondbenign.org/.

Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and on LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT
Nicki Wiggins
Director of Development
Beyond Benign
Nicki_Wiggins@beyondbenign.org
978-229-5443

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Ticker: NYSE:DOW / NY: DOW

Beyond Benign, a green chemistry education nonprofit, today announced the launch of its Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) 25x25 Initiative, working to ensure that 25 percent of graduating chemists in the US have a background in green chemistry by 2025 with the support of Beyond Benign partner Dow (NYSE: DOW).

Related link: https://www.beyondbenign.org/