BASF's STEAM Education Program: 2023 highlights

BASF’s STEAM Education programs have experienced outstanding growth in 2023, not only because of the number of new participants across the region but also due to the incorporation of a not-so-new yet essential letter into the acronym: A for the Arts.

Every aspect of our daily lives is shaped by science: it impacts our decisions and the way we see the world. Although the concepts may seem complex at first glance, learning science at a young age can harness curiosity, enhance critical-thinking skills and foster the ability to make decisions and solve problems.

Getting children excited about science and its immense possibilities in virtually every field and opening their minds to innovation is also a crucial step to developing their interest in STEM careers, a recent study by the University of Nottingham reveals.

In an effort to nurture these abilities in the younger generations, for the past 14 years, BASF’s STEAM education initiative has partnered with museums, science centers and environmental organizations nationwide to provide hands-on experiences through BASF's Kids’ Lab, Teens' Lab and TECH Academy.

Some of the main partners during 2023 included the Liberty Science Center, the Morris Museum, the Children’s Museum of Houston, the Michigan Science Center, Discovery Place, the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, the Beaumont Children’s Museum, the New Jersey Audubon Society, the Wildlife Habitat Council and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Canada.

From STEM to STEAM and everything in between

The world is in constant evolution, and so is the educational landscape. In 2023, BASF transitioned from STEM into STEAM, incorporating the Arts, creativity, and out-of-the-box thinking, valuable traits for the future workforce to keep up with these changes. By adopting this new letter, BASF expands its reach even more, finding new action areas and identifying other ways of connecting with the educational community in the U.S.

Other important milestones achieved during 2023 include:

• A new partnership with the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Canada led to several successful STEAM activities, including Kids’ Lab.
• BASF's first-ever TECH Academy in Michigan was held in 2023 at the Wyandotte site, kicking off a brand-new partnership with the Wayne County Community College.
• BASF Beaumont and BASF TotalEnergies Petrochemicals, LLC., received the Beaumont Children’s Museum Chuck Mason STEAM Champion Award for the organizations’ impact on STEAM.
• The first edition of the Teacher’s School of Ecology, a three-day learning experience for New Jersey teachers to learn about climate change organized in collaboration with the New Jersey Audubon.
• The first Kids’ Lab held in Ghana, organized by one of BASF’s US-based employees, Mayeana Kamara.

To further engage with children and parents across the country and share stories about STEAM activities and the hard work volunteers, caregivers and educators are doing, BASF also launched an Instagram account for STEAM education.

Among the many outstanding results obtained in 2023, it's worth noting that the Kids' Lab participation rate increased 68% from 37,760​ in 2022 to 55,488.  Learn more about the 2023 results in the infographic below:

Slowly yet steadily, BASF’s STEAM education initiative has been gaining supporters and expanding its collaboration. Kids’ Labs have become a hit for many of our partners, with boys and girls waiting for the weekend activities to participate.

Maria Acle, Educational Program Specialist for the U.S., explains, “By making science accessible to the younger generations, we are planting the seed of STEAM early on, inspiring them to expand their horizons and pursue careers in science. Through our collaborations and joint initiatives with partners, we truly believe we are nurturing the next generation of scientists, doers, leaders and problem solvers.”

2023 has been a year of changes and amazing growth for BASF STEAM efforts, but there is still room to grow and improve. For 2024, all that’s left to say is full STEAM ahead!

To learn more about BASF's educational programs and collaborations, visit  the STEAM Education page.

Published on March 13, 2024, by Mariana Licio.

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