BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals LLC encourages STEM education to local students through the You Be The Chemist® Challenge

PORT ARTHUR, TX, March 1, 2016 – For the first time, BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals LLC sponsored the You Be The Chemist Challenge^® (YBTC) at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Port Arthur. The challenge, developed by the Chemical Educational Foundation^® (CEF), is a question and answer competition that allows students to test their knowledge of chemistry concepts as they compete to represent their state on a national level. Fourteen local students had the opportunity to compete for scholarships and display their interest in chemistry and other scientific fields on Saturday, February 27.

“In 2016, we began a new partnership to offer exciting challenges to the students of Thomas Jefferson Middle School,” said Sarah Ramirtha, BASF Reliability Engineer and member of the African American Employee Group (AAEG) at BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals. “We want to introduce STEM education and careers to the next generation of chemists and scientists.”

YBTC is one of numerous activities BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals sponsors throughout the year to encourage science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and careers. BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals understands the importance of engaging students in science education at an early age, realizing that today’s students will be the thinkers, innovators and leaders of the future.  

“At Thomas Jefferson Middle School, we are always looking to expand our top-tier STEM programming and opportunities for our students,” said Taunjaerina Drake, Instructional Coach at the school. “Partnering with BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals, we can enhance our offerings while also building an even stronger connection with one of our local corporate partners.”

Download phot on right, suggested photo caption: BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals sponsored participation in the You Be The Chemist Challenge for Port Arthur students at Thomas Jefferson Middle School on Saturday, February 27.

BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals, LLC

BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals LLC is located in Port Arthur, Texas and manufactures a range of chemicals used in hundreds of consumer products.  BASF TOTAL is a joint venture partnership between BASF Corporation, 60 percent ownership, and Total Petrochemicals &Refining USA, 40 percent ownership.  For more information about BASF Corporation and Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA, Inc. visit www.basf.us or www.us.total.com.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 17,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20.6 billion in 2014. 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 over €74 billion in 2014 and around 113,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA, Inc.

Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA, Inc. (TPRI) is part of the Refining-Petrochemicals Americas Division of Total S.A., one of the largest integrated international oil and gas companies with operations in more than 130 countries worldwide. TPRI is headquartered in Houston and is a major producer of polypropylene, polystyrene, styrene, base chemicals and polyethylene in the United States. Its refinery produces transportation fuels and other petroleum-based products for the global market. The company employs more than 1,600 who work in support of manufacturing and research/development activities in Texas and Louisiana. Visit us online at www.us.total.com.

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