The Chemours Company Monday launched the Chemours Future of Engineering, Science, Trades, and Technology (ChemFEST) school partnership program.
Chemours will invest in middle schools in less affluent areas in its footprint communities worldwide to ensure that younger students are exposed to STEM education. Research shows that proficiency and interest in STEM are most influential when initiated before students reach high school and begin choosing their courses, a release stated.
“At Chemours, we’re dedicated to investing in communities where we operate and leading the way on social responsibility for our industry. ChemFEST is one of the many ways we’re living our commitments by ensuring more students from more backgrounds are exposed to, excited by, and interested in STEM early on in their educational journey. With every school and student we reach, we’re nurturing a more capable, inclusive, and diverse future STEM workforce that will be ready for the more than 800,000 openings for jobs in STEM-related fields over the next 20 years,” said Mark Newman CEO. “I’m extremely proud of ChemFEST, the dedication of Chemours employees around the world to vibrant communities, and to our commitment to helping shape a better world through the power of our chemistry.”
Chemours announced the first two anchor schools to join the program. EastSide Charter School and Serviam Girls Academy – both located near Chemours’ Wilmington, headquarters – will receive multi-year financial support for STEM learning activities, lab equipment, or other resources, in addition to a range of volunteer and program collaborations with Chemours employees.
Chemours will donate $4 million to become the named benefactor for EastSide’s new 24,000 square foot community STEM facility, expected to be completed by summer 2023. It will also fund a $250,000 Chemours STEM Discovery Capstone Program for eighth-grade students at Serviam focused on STEM enrichment and a project-based learning approach that will begin at the start of the 2022 school year and continue over four years.
“In 2020, Chemours committed to developing a school partnership program as part of our diversity action plan and Corporate Responsibility Commitments,” said Alvenia Scarborough, senior vice president, corporate communications, and chief brand officer at Chemours. “We believe that when words become actions is when real change happens. We’re excited about ChemFEST and the chance to deepen our connections to the communities where Chemours’ people live, work, and play while also nurturing the next generation of STEM professionals from those same areas.”
The ChemFEST school partnership model will be customized to meet the needs of each school and local community where Chemours operates.
According to a release, all programs will include multi-year financial support as part of Chemours’ Corporate Responsibility Commitment goal to invest $50 million to create and sustain vibrant communities.
More information about Chemours’ ChemFEST school partnership program is available at www.chemours.com/chemfest.
