Over this summer, we have had hundreds of High School and Middle School students tour through our facilities and learn about Green Chemistry. None of this would have been possible without the hard work and passion of our summer interns, Madi Morin, Sunatib Choundry, and Rahul Reddy Alla. Find out below what it’s like to intern in Green Chemistry education.
Beyond Benign and Education First STEM Tour Reflection, by Madi Morin
“Over the past two months, it has been a privilege to help lead the Beyond Benign stop of the Education First STEM tours. With hundreds of students of various ages passing through, I have been able to gain experience in both the fields of science and education. My limited knowledge and lens of viewing chemistry has expanded to imagine the possibilities of it blurring socio-economic lines, entering the industries of business, cosmetology, athletics, and apparel, and understanding the practicalities of inventing products that are benign at the molecular level versus the unnecessary “reality” of chemistry containing hazardous materials. I have been provided the space and time to reflect on how this booming industry can continue to grow and what my role looks like within it. This opportunity has knocked down my stereotypes of scientists in labs being limited in their interpersonal development and of research and chemical reactions being a linear process. My understanding of communication and collaboration has grown as I see the scientists at WBI working across multiple different disciplines and my appreciation for innovative and logical thinking has expanded when I see how instrumental creativity is in developing new products. Thank you for providing me with both the resources to be set up to succeed and the freedom to make changes and confidently own the fieldtrips. I have been challenged to strengthen my foundation in green chemistry so that I am able to communicate the message to middle schoolers, high schoolers, special education students, and even pupils speaking a different language. Thank you again, it has been a phenomenal experience!”
We are all aware of the importance of implementing Green Chemistry and safety into our laboratory culture and practices, but where do we start? In our latest publication with Natalie O’Neil, Star Scott, Rachael Relph, and Ettigounder Ponnusamy at the Journal of Chemical Education, you can learn more about our Guide to Green Chemistry Experiment for Undergraduate Organic Laboratories and how this approach helps the Green Chemistry incorporation process. This publication and the guide were created in partnership with My Green Lab and Millipore Sigma. 
“The reason for wanting to work with Beyond Benign on the Green Chemistry Commitment was to critically analyze the program to see how we could increase participation and improve the signer experience. My experience with the Green Chemistry Initiative at the University of Toronto was instrumental in sparking my passion for Green Chemistry education and outreach. The GCI performed a department-wide audit of the Green Chemistry material offered in undergraduate courses. I wanted to expand these efforts to the greater chemistry community, and Beyond Benign was the perfect partnership to do so. 
Our Co-Founder and Executive Director Amy Cannon, our K-12 Education Director Kate Anderson, and our Green Chemistry Commitment Director Irv Levy, together with Amy Keirstead, Reuben Hudson, Jennifer MacKellar, Mollie Enright, and Elizabeth Howson have just published a paper in the Journal of Chemical Education.
The Co-Founder of Green Chemistry, Co-Founder of Beyond Benign and our Director of Science and Innovation John Warner had the pleasure to participate in The Bottom Line Podcast, organized by Harvard Ventures. In this podcast, John talks about his path to becoming an inventor and shares with us the influence of green chemistry in business, politics, innovation, and in our society, using his own deeper and different view of things.
