Regional News | May 28, 2025

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BASF’s Responsible Care Week sparks curiosity for 1,100 Texas fifth graders

  • BASF’s Freeport manufacturing site hosts its 31st annual Responsible Care Week
  • 800 fifth graders from Brazosport and 300 fifth graders from Needville explore STEM career paths
  • More than 100 BASF volunteers contributed nearly 900 volunteer hours to lead hands-on, interactive demonstrations to inspire the next generation of problem solvers

FREEPORT, TX, May 28, 2025 – BASF’s Freeport manufacturing site celebrated its 31st annual Responsible Care Week, welcoming 1,100 fifth grade students to Brazosport Community College for an unforgettable, hands-on learning experience.

The event gave students a unique opportunity to see how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts from the classroom come to life in real-world industry applications.

“This event aims to build these students’ curiosity around STEM and the opportunities that our local industry offers to them and the community,” said Jenna Marston, BASF Communications Manager at the Freeport site. “We couldn’t make this happen without our volunteers and the partnerships we have with our local schools. It’s one example of how we’re working together to build a stronger, more sustainable future for Brazoria County.”

Throughout the week, students from Needville Middle School, Rasco Middle School, Clute Intermediate, SFA STEM Academy and Lanier Elementary rotated through the interactive stations learning from the more than 100 BASF volunteers. These volunteers – including chemists, engineers, drone pilots, and environmental safety specialists – contributed nearly 900 volunteer hours to make the event a success.

The students conducted chemistry experiments, learned how equipment like valves work, and met a robotic dog used by BASF employees to solve problems in hard-to-reach areas. The students experienced using cutting edge tools and technology used to train industry professionals at Brazosport Community College.

“We’re proud that BASF hosts its Responsible Care Week at the college, and we hope that this event inspires these students to consider exploring industry-related jobs in the future,” said Dr. Vincent Solis, President of Brazosport College. “Our community is lucky to have great programming and training opportunities that can set students up for a lifetime of success.”

Each activity was carefully designed to align with Texas education standards, reinforcing classroom lessons while inspiring curiosity and career exploration.

“BASF brought science to life for our fifth graders at Brazosport Independent School District with its interactive event aligned to our newly implemented Texas TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Sills),” said Bridgette Percle, BISD CTE (Career and Technical Education) Director. “Our students explored how mixtures keep their physical properties, compared substances before and after forming solutions, and observed changes in states of matter – learning through hands-on fun.”

BASF’s Responsible Care Week continues to grow each year, reflecting the company’s long-standing commitment to education, innovation and community partnership.

Find more information about BASF’s Texas sites here: Texas.


About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America and had sales of $19.7 billion in 2024. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com/us.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €65.3 billion in 2024. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.

Jenna Marston
Communications Manager
Freeport, TX
Texas fifth graders explore the Brazosport College PET (Process Equipment Trainer), which simulates what it's like to be at an industrial facility, as part of BASF's Responsible Care Week.
Texas fifth graders explore the Brazosport College PET (Process Equipment Trainer), which simulates what it's like to be at an industrial facility, as part of BASF's Responsible Care Week.
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Last UpdateMay 28, 2025