BASF creates chemistry for children on a national level

FLORHAM PARK, NJ -- BASF supports chemistry learning as a major sponsor of the National You Be The Chemist Challenge ® , a science education program created by the Chemical Educational Foundation (CEF) that uses the excitement of competition to get students in grades 5 to 8 involved in science, technology, engineering and math. In addition, the company supported local challenges in eight states.



Four students sponsored by BASF, who won their local challenges, participated in the June 24 national challenge and competed with the top students from 23 other states. They include Douglas Marr, an eighth-grader at St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Alabama; Adithya Suresh, an eighth-grader from Charlotte Latin School in North Carolina; James Boone, a seventh-grader from Clover Middle School in South Carolina; and CeCe Chu, an eighth-grader from Eagle Ridge Middle School in Virginia.



BASF’s national sponsorship allowed CEF to invite participants, chaperones and educators to travel to Philadelphia for the National Challenge, participate in a celebration dinner and awards ceremony and visit historic sites and museums. Scholarship money was awarded to the top four placing students in the You Be the Chemist Challenge: first place winner Eshan Kemp, a sixth grader from Washington; second place winner Nathanael Kim, a sixth grader from Illinois; third place winner Jasmine Xu, a seventh grader from California; and fourth place winner Chi Cao, an eighth grader from Louisiana.



“As the world’s leading chemical company, BASF recognizes the importance of immersing students in science – realizing that they will be the thinkers, innovators and leaders of the future,” said Robin Rotenberg, Vice President of Corporate Communications for BASF in North America. “Through the lessons and activities used to prepare for the challenge, students gain an appreciation for the importance of chemistry in our daily lives and we hope they will view chemistry as a subject to pursue in college and as a path to a rewarding career.”



Stephanie Carouthers, a BASF chemist who works at the company’s facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been coordinating local YBTC challenges in both North and South Carolina for more than five years. She was asked by the CEF to participate on the judge’s panel for the National Challenge this year.



“All of the children who make it to the local, state and national challenges should be very proud of their accomplishments,” Carouthers said. “It takes a lot of hard work and a high comprehension of chemistry to get as far as they have.”



Along with the You Be the Chemist Challenge, BASF engages local schoolchildren in a series of hands on science education programs and learning opportunities including the company’s Kids’ Lab program for children between the ages of 6 – 12; the BASF Science Academy for rising high school seniors and publication of a special science literacy magazine through Kids X-Press. Since 2010, BASF’s science education outreach programs have involved more than 27,000 students across the US, Canada and Mexico.



BASF was recognized for excellence in science education with awards from the New Jersey Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and from the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates in 2012 and received the Community Impact Award from the American Heart Association in 2013 for its role in improving science education.



About the Chemical Educational Foundation

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Arlington, VA, the Chemical Educational Foundation works closely with industry to enhance science education opportunities for our youth. Based on the Benchmarks for Science Literacy and the National Science Education Standards, the You Be The Chemist Challenge ® integrates language arts into a science curriculum and tools used by educators and volunteers to introduce chemistry concepts to students in an engaging format. For more information on the Challenge, visit www.chemed.org .



BASF - The Chemical Company

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,600 employees in North America, and had sales of $18.5 billion in 2012. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us .


BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. 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 €72.1 billion in 2012 and more than 110,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com