BASF Brings STEM Education to Life During Annual Day of Service

Eighth grade students from East Wake Middle School in Raleigh, North Carolina, conducted real-world science experiments with more than 80 BASF employees during the company’s annual Day of Service. Now in its fourth year, the event gives employees the opportunity to volunteer in local schools to encourage careers in science and math.

According to the Smithsonian Science Education Center, roughly 2.4 million jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) are unfilled. Employees from BASF’s Research Triangle Park location are playing their part to encourage more careers in STEM by offering students real insights into their careers. Students see first-hand how science provides solutions to some of the world’s most challenging problems.

During BASF’s Day of Service, employees guided students through hands-on experiments that explored pH levels in soil to determine the optimal range for plants to grow and how filtration keeps the water supply chain clean. Employees then met with students in small groups to answer their questions and to mentor them on STEM-related career opportunities.

“As part of our commitment to the Triangle community and to the next generation of ag scientists, we want to foster an interest in STEM from an early age,” said Paul Rea, Senior Vice President, BASF Agricultural Solutions, North America. “We believe that raising the profile of what a career in STEM looks like will ultimately help attract and retain our industry’s future talent. Through our partnership with Wake County Public Schools, we contribute to STEM education initiatives across the county.”