BASF Brings Hands-On Science to More Than 2,000 Sc
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FLORHAM PARK, NJ--(Marketwired - Oct 24, 2014) - BASF volunteers are bringing the company's popular Kids' Lab program to 29 schools in fourteen states in celebration of National Chemistry Week (October 19 - 25).
"Through Kids' Lab, we are creating fun with chemistry to tap into children's natural curiosity and encourage them to explore scientific concepts," said Robin Rotenberg, Vice President and Chief Communications Officer for BASF in North America. "By engaging them in science early on and following up with our other science education offerings, we hope to develop the innovators and technical visionaries who will shape our future."
The award winning BASF Kids' Lab program is designed to provide a fun, hands-on learning environment for children between the ages of 6 - 12. They experience chemistry through safe and engaging experiments, coupled with interactive Q&A and demonstrations. Children learn about the importance of chemistry to everyday life and how BASF creates chemistry. The Kids' Lab program is offered to schools in communities where the company has operations.
BASF outreach for National Chemistry Week includes schools in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
The official theme of National Chemistry Week is "The Sweet Side of Chemistry -- Candy," showcasing the chemistry involved in candy and confections. In addition to a slate of experiments geared to unwrap the secret science of candy, Kids' Lab is offering experiments to explore the chemistry behind polymers while having fun creating gooey, colorful slime and to separate the colors in ordinary markers using chromatography.
"The best way for students to learn is through hands on experimentation because it creates a memorable experience," said Robin Horan, first grade teacher at May Howard Elementary School in Savannah, Georgia. "It ignites a hunger for what can be. It shows children the possibilities of what they can become one day - a chemist, an engineer, a scientist."
The BASF Kids' Lab is a global program that was established in 1997 and is currently available in more than 30 countries worldwide. It was launched in North America in 2010 and has engaged more than 50,000 participants. BASF's science education offerings in North America, including Kids' Lab the BASF Science Academy, a special science themed edition of Kids X-Press Magazine , national sponsorship and participation in the Chemical Educational Foundation's You Be The Chemist® challenges have reached more than 200,000 schoolchildren in grades K - 12 over the past four years. The programs have received numerous awards for excellence in science education, most recently, in 2014, from the New Jersey Section of the American Chemical Society.
For press photos, please click on the following links:
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Suggested caption: BASF volunteer Cathy Lamas assists first grade students at May Howard Elementary School in Savannah, Georgia, with hands on experiments during National Chemistry Week.
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Suggested caption: Trinity Wilkins, a fifth-grader at Booker T. Washington Elementary School in Suffolk, Virginia, prepares filter paper to explore the chromatography of candy as part of the BASF Kids' Lab during National Chemistry Week .
National Chemistry Week is a program of the American Chemical Society that encourages chemists and chemistry enthusiasts to build awareness of chemistry at the local level and promote the value of chemistry in everyday life.
About BASF
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has nearly 17,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $19.3 billion in 2013. For more information about BASF's North American operations, visit www.basf.us .
At BASF, we create chemistry -- and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world's leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of about EUR 74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com .
For more information contact: Donna Jakubowski BASF Corporation Tel: (973) 245.6260 E-mail: Email Contact