“K-12 education is where the spark happens,” says Michelle Ernst Modera, Beyond Benign’s K-12 Community Engagement Manager. “If we want to build a strong pipeline of scientists, engineers, and citizens who understand sustainability at its core, we have to begin in those early classrooms.”

Michelle’s work focuses on building that foundation: connecting teachers with resources, training, and a supportive network to help them bring green chemistry to life for their students. With a background in education, sociology, and community engagement, she approaches her work through a relational lens—one shaped by her experience at the National Center for Race Amity, where she learned the power of “calling people in” to learn together.

At Beyond Benign, Michelle helps educators across the country find professional development opportunities, share ideas, and amplify the innovation already happening in classrooms. In the conversation below, she reflects on her path to Beyond Benign, the importance of community in advancing green chemistry, and why K-12 educators are such a vital part of the movement.

Why is K-12 education an important part of the larger green chemistry movement?

K-12 education is where curiosity begins. It’s where exploration and awareness start to take root, long before students ever choose a college major or a career path. If we want to build a strong pipeline of scientists, engineers, and citizens who understand sustainability at its core, we have to begin in those early classrooms.

When students learn to see chemistry as something connected to their lives and communities—something that can solve real-world problems—it changes everything. They carry that mindset into higher education and the workforce, and that’s how long-term change happens.

The challenge is that funding for K-12 programs is much harder to come by. There’s a lot of energy around green chemistry in higher education and industry, but those early opportunities for teachers and students often get overlooked. It’s frustrating because this is the foundation. Without it, we’re missing the very beginning of the story. That’s why so much of my focus is on helping people see how vital K-12 education is to the bigger picture of advancing green chemistry.

What first drew you to education and community engagement, and how did that path lead you to Beyond Benign?

I came into this work through community engagement. I returned to school to pursue my M.Ed. and accepted a fellowship with Beyond Benign. I was originally slotted to help with development, but the K-12 director and program manager moved on around the same time. I started working more closely with the Beyond Benign team, and they encouraged me to take the lead and actually run parts of the program.

What made it click was the culture here. Beyond Benign is unusually transparent and humble. I could reach out to anyone and be genuinely heard. It took me a moment to find my footing as one of the few non-chemists on the team. But my background in community engagement turned out to be very useful for the work we do: building relationships with educators, understanding their reality in the classroom, and creating spaces where people feel invited in to learn together, share their innovative approaches to teaching, and keep contributing over time.

At the heart of it, I’m driven by a love of learning, collaboration,  and innovation, and this role lets me use everything I’ve done before while still learning continually in a new field.

You previously worked with the National Center for Race Amity. How does that ‘call people in’ approach shape your work with educators?

Working at the National Center for Race Amity (NCRA) shaped a great deal of how I think about community engagement. The organization taught me the importance of accompaniment—walking alongside people who are learning and taking action and learning with them. What made NCRA unique was its commitment to calling people in instead of calling them out. We created spaces where participants could explore difficult topics like race and equity, make mistakes, adjust, and move forward without fear of public shaming, even as we cultivated a culture of respect and accountability.

That experience directly informs how I approach educators in the green chemistry space. Teaching and learning are both deeply human processes. People need space to experiment, reflect, and grow, especially when they’re integrating new ideas like sustainability and systems thinking into their classrooms. The “call people in” mindset helps create that kind of trust-based community—one where everyone feels safe to learn from wherever they are and contribute what they know.

As K-12 Community Engagement Manager, what are your priorities, and what excites you about this educator community?

My biggest focus is on connection—helping teachers find the professional development, resources, and peer networks that make it easier to bring green chemistry into their classrooms. A lot of my work centers on linking educators to Beyond Benign’s professional development opportunities, amplifying the work of teachers who are already leading in this space, and encouraging them to share their knowledge through conferences, presentations, and collaborations.

What excites me most is seeing the creativity and commitment of K-12 educators. They’re constantly innovating to connect students to sustainable science practices and to reflect on challenges in the world around them through that lens., whether it’s through environmental projects, safer lab practices, or student-led problem-solving. There’s so much brilliance and care in this community, and being able to build spaces where that knowledge and connection can grow and ripple outward is what drives me every day.

Why is community engagement essential for advancing green chemistry in K-12?

Community engagement is really the engine that keeps green chemistry moving forward. Without it, so much of the innovation and learning that happens would stay siloed or locked behind paywalls. When teachers connect with one another—and with colleagues in higher education, industry, and even state agencies—their understanding deepens, and new possibilities open up for sharing that wealth of knowledge.

Green chemistry isn’t something that advances in isolation; it evolves through shared ideas, tested approaches, and collective problem-solving. Each educator brings a different perspective shaped by their students, their classrooms, and their communities. When we create spaces for those perspectives to meet, everyone gains clarity about what we’re doing and why it matters. Simply put, the community makes the movement stronger.

What current projects are you most excited to share?

Right now, I’m most excited about two projects that are helping us rebuild and expand our K-12 green chemistry network.

For New York educators, we’re relaunching the New York Green Chemistry Professional Learning Team (NYGCPLT). This initiative had existed previously but paused when a key partner organization shifted. We’ve been able to bring it back, complete with the ability to offer professional learning credits for teachers. It’s a way for our NYS science teachers to learn how to green labs together and implement them with the support of their peers, creating a strong, supportive network of educators who can inspire one another and help green chemistry take deeper root in labs and classrooms.

For educators everywhere, I’m excited about Beyond Benign’s Online Courses. These are professional development opportunities led by experienced teachers who have real expertise in greening labs and meeting NGSS standards. They’re designed to be practical, accessible, and immediately applicable—and New York State teachers can even take them for free.

For educators new to green chemistry, what are the first steps to take?

Any advice I would share comes straight from the educators in our programs: start small. You don’t have to overhaul your entire curriculum all at once. Try greening one or two lessons or labs to begin with, or look for simple chemical substitutions that make your classroom safer.

From there, take advantage of the incredible free resources that already exist. Start with the community recommended K-12 Favorite Resources collection. Then explore Beyond Benign’s website and the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC) which are full of practical examples, lesson plans, and active forums where teachers share advice and solutions. If you find yourself needing some accompaniment, join a forum or group on the GCTLC, or sign up for one of our online courses.

Lightning Round!

First STEM memory:

Definitely biology. I loved being in the greenhouse during lab. There was something magical about tending to plants and watching science happen right in front of me. As a kid, I was always the one ‘playing scientist,’ exploring outside with a magnifying glass. If I’d had a real chemistry set, I probably would’ve been trouble, but it turns out I was sort of a green chemist: exploring the cupboards, pretending to be in a lab, and mixing all kinds of ingredients, hoping to find something that would create an interesting reaction. I clearly needed some accompaniment because all I created were some stinky and colorful concoctions.

Outside of work:

I’m still very community-oriented. I love working with people of all ages, especially around spiritual and material education and building connections. For fun, I spend time doing watercolor and photography. I’m not a professional by any means, but I love the creativity and mindfulness it brings.

Currently reading:

The Flavia de Luce mystery series by Alan Bradley. The main character is this precocious 11-year-old who uses chemistry to solve murders. It’s such a fun mix of curiosity, science, and mischief.

How You Can Get Involved:

• Sign up for Green Sparks, a free six-part email series designed to make bringing sustainability into your classroom easier than ever.
• Middle school and high school teachers: Enroll in a professional development course to learn how to transform your teaching practices and inspire students to critically engage with environmental and sustainability challenges. Read what previous participants said about the courses here.
• New York-based teachers in grades 6-12: Join the New York Green Chemistry Professional Learning Team, a dedicated space where you can connect with your peers and develop your understanding and practice of green chemistry and sustainable science in your labs.

Two outstanding Minnesota chemistry teachers are proving that sustainability belongs in every classroom. Cassandra (Cassie) Knutson Lydon, who has taught general and AP chemistry at White Bear Lake High School since 2009, and Cassidy (Cassie) Javner, a chemistry teacher at Richfield High School, have been longtime collaborators—first connecting when Javner was Lydon’s student teacher.

Both are Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teachers, and together they’ve developed curricula, led workshops, and trained other educators across the country. Their passion extends beyond their own classrooms: from publishing in journals to presenting at national conferences, they are committed to showing how chemistry can be a force for good and an entry point to solving global challenges.

In this conversation, they share their journeys into green chemistry, the classroom experiments that spark the most excitement, strategies for helping busy teachers get started, and the opportunities they see ahead for making science more sustainable and relevant to students’ lives.

Beyond Benign: To get started, could you each share a little about your path into green chemistry education and the Lead Teacher Program?

Cassie J.: I first met Cassie when I was her student teacher back in 2013. She helped me learn how to teach chemistry, and that’s where our paths first crossed.

Cassie L.: Around that time, I was coordinating the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program at the University of Minnesota. While teaching AP Chemistry, I came across the concept of atom economy. That led me to connect with faculty doing green chemistry work and eventually with Jane Wissinger.

Cassie J.: Together, we joined Jane’s lab to develop polymeric medical sutures from renewable materials. She encouraged us to take Beyond Benign’s online Introduction to Green Chemistry course, and soon after, we became Lead Teachers. From there, we began presenting, developing experiments, and eventually teaching Beyond Benign’s online course ourselves.

Cassie L.: Even in retirement, Jane still co-leads our annual three-day summer workshop at the University of Minnesota. This past year marked our seventh, and we’ve even run virtual versions during COVID. We’re grateful to still collaborate with her regularly.

Beyond Benign: Thinking about this past year, what green chemistry teaching or outreach experiences stand out most for each of you?

Cassie L.: Each year, I run the “Make It, Break It” experiment, and it’s always a highlight. It helps students connect to real-world challenges and see how science can be part of solutions. Not everyone will become a chemist, but it’s important for them to understand why these issues matter. That experiment makes those connections clear, which is why it remains one of my favorites.

Cassie J.: We both work to bring green chemistry principles and the UN Sustainable Development Goals into our classrooms. My units are themed around sustainability goals, which makes learning more relevant and helps students see career opportunities they didn’t know existed.

On the outreach side, I love teaching Beyond Benign’s introductory course. It’s rewarding to share ideas with educators who share our vision. Cassie and I also presented the “Make It, Break It” experiment at ChemEd this summer, which was a great way to highlight sustainability and green chemistry. My students love it too—we just made the bioplastics on Friday, and it was a fun way to kick off the year.

Cassie L.: I’ll add that through the RET program this summer, I worked in a completely new area for me—passive daytime radiative cooling. We explored how to cool buildings or people without air conditioning, looking at innovations like fabrics and paints. It was exciting to branch out beyond polymers, and I’m eager to bring this work into my classroom this spring.

Beyond Benign: K-12 educators are extremely busy. What strategies have you found most effective in helping them get started with green chemistry or deepen their practice?

Cassie J.: Start small. The easiest way in is swapping out a single lab for a safer, greener version. Once teachers build comfort and knowledge, they can add more over time. It doesn’t have to happen overnight, and trying to do it all at once often leads to burnout. I encourage people to think in one-, two-, or even five-year timelines for making changes.

Cassie L.: There’s an upfront investment in planning and trying something new, but the payoff is big. Students are more engaged, excited, and interested, which makes teaching flow more smoothly. It’s like an activation barrier in chemistry—once you put in the energy to get started, the results are worth it.

Beyond Benign: What Beyond Benign resources do you rely on most in your classrooms? And have you created or contributed any that you’re particularly proud of?

Cassie L.: I started with Beyond Benign’s replacement experiments, and many are still in my classroom—the types of reactions lab was an easy entry point. I’m especially proud of the “Make It, Break It” experiment, which is published on the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC), and of the work Cassie and I have shared through the Journal of Chemical Education and book chapters. And as a personal point of pride, I co-chaired one of the committees that developed the GCTLC, which has been one of my biggest contributions.

Cassie J.: We’ve refined and adapted some experiments, sometimes adding an AP Chemistry lens, but most of the core materials came from Beyond Benign. I also use the types of reactions lab, and another favorite is the colored flame candles experiment. It replaces the methanol flame test, which has a history of accidents, with a safe, engaging alternative where students investigate substances through flame colors. They love it, and it’s much safer.

Beyond Benign: It would have been easy to stop at bringing green chemistry into your own classrooms. But instead, you’ve gone further—sharing, training, and doing advocacy work on top of your teaching. How did you make the decision to take that extra step?

Cassie J.: For me, it comes from how much I gain by sharing and talking with other educators. When Cassie and I exchange resources and ideas, we both grow in our practice. Our partnership has been incredibly valuable in developing materials for students and teachers.

I’m also motivated by wanting to spread the message that chemistry can be used for good. I enjoy talking to people about that. Professionally, the opportunities through Beyond Benign and the University of Minnesota have been amazing—from publishing in journals to attending conferences I never imagined going to. It’s rewarding in both directions: Sharing helps others, and it also pushes me to grow as an educator.

Cassie L.: I’d echo that. For me, it’s really a symbiotic relationship. I’ve always been passionate about teaching, so things like hosting student teachers—which is how I first met Cassie—and contributing to the profession have always energized me.

At the same time, I’ve gained so much personally and professionally. I’ve traveled to different states, presented at conferences, and had experiences I never would have sought out on my own. Those opportunities came through support from Beyond Benign and the University of Minnesota. That keeps me motivated—I give a lot, but I also get a lot in return.

Beyond Benign: What’s next for each of you? What are you most excited about in the coming year or two, whether in sustainable chemistry, STEM education, or personally?

Cassie L.: I’m really excited about a new class I’ll be teaching called Planet Earth and Climate. I had proposed a sustainability class, but enrollment was too low to run it. This course overlaps with what I wanted to teach, so I’m approaching it through a sustainability lens.

We’ll also be piloting the passive daytime radiative cooling experiment I mentioned earlier this spring. And Jane is coming back into my classroom! She wants to work on the PLA/oil spill experiment we worked on together a while back. I’ve been using part of that procedure in my cooling experiment, and after talking with her this summer, she decided she’d like to return to it and see if we can get to a publication.

I’ll have two weeks of experts from the University of Minnesota in my classroom, teaching about polymers and sustainability. I think it’s so cool to show students how materials can be used in completely different ways—like using PLA for oil spill cleanup in one project and for radiative cooling in another. It gives them a glimpse of the wide range of jobs and sectors doing this kind of work.

Cassie J.: I’m currently in a graduate certificate program in engineering education, so I’m excited to bring in more engineering challenges centered on sustainability. Last year my students built electric vehicles for the first time, and I want to keep merging green chemistry, sustainability, and engineering so classes stay hands-on and engaging.

Cassie and I also plan to continue spreading the word at conferences. We’re looking at opportunities with the University of Minnesota and elsewhere.

Cassie L.: Yes—we’ve been invited to present the “Make It, Break It” polymers experiment at ACS this spring, and I’ll be presenting a Climate Action Project at NSTA in November. We’re not sure yet if ACS travel funding will come through, but I know opportunities will keep coming. And honestly, I just love working with Cassie.

Cassie J.: I love working with you, too!

Beyond Benign: You’re both doing such inspiring work. Is there anything I didn’t ask that you’d want people to know?

Cassie J.: I’d just say thank you to Beyond Benign. They’ve supported us so much—funding, opportunities, encouragement. We really couldn’t do a lot of this work without them. And the University of Minnesota, too. Both organizations have been key.

Cassie L.: Absolutely. Between the two, we’ve had classroom supplies, travel support, the chance to run workshops, and more. They’ve given us the platform to share this work, and it’s been invaluable.

How to get involved:

• Join the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC) to connect with fellow educators and access free resources, including the “Make It and Break It” lesson contributed by Cassie Lydon, Cassie Javner, and Jane Wissinger. 
• Subscribe to Beyond Benign’s newsletter to receive green chemistry news and opportunities directly to your inbox. Plus, be the first to know about professional development opportunities for K-12 educators! 
• Register for the free Green Chemistry Connections webinar series to hear from green chemistry changemakers and connect with the community at each monthly session.