Beyond Benign is proud to continue our ongoing collaboration with the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) to empower educators to advance sustainable science education in the New York region. Through fostering a regional green chemistry education community in New York, Beyond Benign aims to equip teachers to integrate green chemistry and sustainable STEM into their classrooms. This project is designed to drive awareness of green chemistry education and hazardous material clean out programs for high school classrooms and train teachers in green chemistry concepts and curriculum. Applying green chemistry principles in New York schools will effectively address all three key areas of the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute’s mission of: reducing the use of hazardous chemicals, reducing emissions and waste generated along with increasing the efficient use of raw materials, energy, and water.
In partnership with NYSP2I, Beyond Benign is excited to offer New York State teachers free opportunities to learn more about green chemistry education, access to open-source green chemistry curriculum, and information on NYSP2I’s chemical clean out programs.
Beyond Benign’s partnership with New York State Master Teacher Program ( NYS MTP) is fostering green chemistry education community building across New York. Annette Sebuyira and Jim Burdick, two active New York State Master Teachers
and Beyond Benign Lead Teachers are spearheading the efforts of the NYS Green Chemistry Professional Learning Team. The Green Chemistry PLT meets monthly to discuss topics related to integrating safer more sustainable practices into K-12 classrooms. To learn more about PLT read the NYS MTP feature article: Beyond Safe Chem Labs, Beyond Benign
Thanks to NYSP2I, Beyond Benign is able to once again offering full scholarships to Beyond Benign’s green chemistry online courses. These two courses are 8 weeks and the equivalent of 48 credit-hours with optional 3 graduate education credits available.* These courses are taught by Beyond Benign Lead Teachers, Tayna Elmer, and Cassie Knutson, who have extensive experience teaching green chemistry in their classroom and developing green chemistry curriculum.
More details on the online courses are below:
Introduction to Green Chemistry for High School Teachers June 7- Aug 2, 2021:
This course will equip you with the knowledge, skills and resources to integrate green chemistry principles and practices into your teaching through real-world sustainable innovations. Participants will engage in forum discussions and lesson plan development.
Advanced Green Chemistry: Connections to Our World June 7- August 2, 2021:
This course is designed for teachers already implementing green chemistry in their classes. Expand your knowledge of green chemistry principles and practices by investigating pedagogy strategies for effectively guiding student-based research projects and inquiry-based projects.
*optional $140 graduate credit is available from Colorado School of Mines for teachers from across the country, including New York teachers.
The funding for the programs above offered by Beyond Benign and NYSP2I is provided by the Environmental Protection Fund as administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Any opinions, findings, and/or interpretations of data contained herein are the responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions, interpretations, or policy of Rochester Institute of Technology and its NYS Pollution Prevention Institute or the State.
