SCIENCE TEACHER: CHEMISTRY FOR PROFESSIONALS
In the United States, the Arkema Inc. Foundation helps fund local social, cultural and educational organizations to improve the quality of life in the communities in which it operates. The foundation focuses on supporting science education at all levels, and initiated the Science Teacher Program, which has benefited hundreds of teachers across the country. The teachers are provided with science teaching kits and collaborate directly with Arkema’s engineers and researchers. The idea is to provide them with learning resources to make their teaching more effective and engaging in the science subjects, including chemistry, for thousands of primary and secondary pupils. In 2019, 15 American sites took part in the program, which benefited 41 local schools.
PARTICIPATORY OPERA FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
It is a wonderful thing to watch a performance of Carmen. To take part is incredible! That is exactly what is offered to young people by the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris (France). Children of all abilities sing along to excerpts from the opera from their seats in the audience. The entire auditorium takes part! This is a wonderful example of the partnership put in place between this prestigious classical music venue and Arkema, as the sponsor. Every year, the theater invites thousands of school children from Paris and the suburbs. In 2019, it staged ten participatory opera performances, preceded by workshops. This project allows Arkema to help children discover classical music and opera in a fun, educational way.
EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO DRINKING WATER!
For three years, Arkema supported the nonprofit Sail for Water, which gave 100,000 people in 22 countries access to drinking water by distributing 1,000 water filters. Sail for water has now handed the reins over to other nonprofits including the No-Thirst Initiative, which has distributed 300 filtration kits to remote regions of Nepal, and Soleil d’Or, which supplied emergency filters to the Bahamas following the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian. These ultrafiltration cartridges, which Arkema developed jointly with Polymem, a specialist in membrane filtration for water treatment, feature membranes made using our Kynar® PVDF material, and they eliminate 99.9999% of bacteria and viruses!
CLOSE LINKS WITH HIGHER EDUCATION
Our Group maintains close relations with the best training institutions for all its areas of expertise. In France, Arkema takes part in events organized by general and chemistry engineering schools, and sponsors École Polytechnique, ENSIACET and ESPCI ParisTech. The Group also provides financial support to the ENSIC Foundation. Since the funding scheme started, around 100 engineering students in financial difficulty have benefited from a bursary. Every year in the United States, the Developing Engineer Program has led to Arkema recruiting several future engineers who studied in the country’s best universities.
ARKEMA’S VOLUNTEERS MEET YOUNG PEOPLE IN CHINA
In China, our employees regularly go into schools and colleges near the plants to meet students as part of a social responsibility project called Arkema ChemArt Green Innovation Class. The aim is to advance the teaching of science subjects, promote careers in chemistry, and raise awareness of environmental issues among the younger generations. On June 5, 2019, for World Environment Day, several employees volunteered to go into Zhangjiagang Lvfeng school for the children of migrant workers, in Jiangsu province. They taught the concepts and practices of the circular economy, before taking part in a short game of soccer!