Media
BASF and LASM continue partnership to create chemistry with local schools and general public
BATON ROUGE AND GEISMAR, LA,August 20, 2012 --BASF and the Louisiana Art & Science Museum (LASM) have renewed the partnership to provide BASF’s Kids’ Lab classes to fourth grade students from the Ascension Parish School System at no cost to the students or schools. The agreed expansion of the program also provides Kids’ Lab classes to the general public beginning in September. Kids’ Lab allows children to learn about the components of daily chemistry around them and become literate in the basics of science.
“We are so thrilled with the success of this program, and so delighted to continue our partnership with BASF,” said Nita Mitchell, Science Education Curator at LASM. “It will be exciting to expand Kids’ Lab to not just the schoolchildren, but the general public as well,” said Nita Mitchell, Science Education Curator at LASM.
Each instructor-led Kids’ Lab workshop at LASM offers safe and engaging chemical experiments coupled with interactive demonstrations focused on water purification. Students also enjoy learning about the Kids’ Lab mascot, morpH™, a cartoon-like element that can “morph” into any of the basic forms of matter – a solid, liquid or gas. When the class is finished, children receive a lab apron, a certificate of participation and a pouch filled with other takeaway items.
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LAB OFFERED: Schoolchildren attend Tuesdays through Fridays with school trips 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. Second and Fourth Saturday and Sunday of each month, Kids’ Lab is offered free to general public with regular admission to the museum. Kids’ Lab is offered to visitors ages 6–12 years of age and their caregivers Saturday Kids’ Lab sessions will be offered at: Sunday Kids’ Lab sessions will be offered at: WHERE: Louisiana Art & Science Museum MUSEUM HOURS: Tues - Fri.: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; PUBLIC PROGRAM COST: Kids’ Lab is free for LASM members and included in the price of general admission for non-members. Participants may sign up on a first come, first served basis on the day of each program. By contacting kidslab@lasm.org, members may also pre-register by noon Thursday prior to the weekend program, and groups may schedule in advance. One adult caregiver is required for every four children, and participants must sign in at least 20 minutes before the workshop. Please visit www.lasm.org for more important details and guidelines. |
Of the 15 eligible primary schools in Ascension Parish, 12 participated in the BASF Kids’ Lab program at LASM during the 2011-2012 school year.
Approximately 1,943 participants, including students from East Baton Rouge Parish, experienced the Operation Filtration hands-on workshop.
“BASF has a strong focus on science education, realizing that today’s students will be the thinkers, innovators and leaders of the future,” said Tom Yura, Senior Vice President and Manager of the BASF site in Geismar. “Our goal is to have kids interact with the basics of chemistry and components that surround them daily so that they can explore the connections to chemistry in the world around them.”
More than 100,000 schoolchildren visit LASM each year to participate in dozens of hands-on, interactive art and science classes developed and taught by museum educators, as well as a variety of planetarium programs and interactive educational theater programs. All of LASM’s education programs are aligned with state standards, benchmarks and grade-level expectations to ensure a relevant, meaningful educational experience.
Kids’ Lab was established at BASF’s global headquarters in Germany in 1997, and it is currently available in 16 countries worldwide. In North America, BASF’s aim is to foster science literacy. The company supports several programs that encourage students to enjoy and pursue their interest in science and explore career possibilities in the fields of science, math and technology.
For a press photo, please click on the following link:
http://www.basf.us/pressphotos/08-20-12_LASMKidsLab.jpg.
Suggested photo caption: The BASF Kids’ Lab program fosters science literacy by encouraging children ages 6-12 to experience chemistry through safe, fun, engaging experiments and demonstrations.
About Louisiana Art & Science Museum
Housed on the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge, the Louisiana Art & Science Museumenhances the understanding and appreciation of art and science for general audiences and students by presenting unique, educational and entertaining experiences that encourage discovery, inspire creativity, and foster the pursuit of knowledge. More information on LASM is available on the Internet at www.lasm.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 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20 billion in 2011. 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, social responsibility and environmental protection. Through science and innovation we enable our customers in almost all industries to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and system solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring healthy food and nutrition and helping to improve the quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of about €73.5 billion in 2011 and had more than 111,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.
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