Beyond Benign and the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC): Transforming chemistry education for a sustainable future

Moir, Jonathon; Obhi, Nimrat

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/122850 Copy

Description

Title

Beyond Benign and the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC): Transforming chemistry education for a sustainable future

Author(s)

• Moir, Jonathon
• Obhi, Nimrat

Issue Date

2024-04-09

Keyword(s)

• green chemistry
• beyond benign
• sustainable chemistry
• diversity

Abstract

Green chemistry is an upstream, preventative approach that can address global sustainability challenges, including fulfilling the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (U.N. SDGs). Green chemistry is not a discrete field of chemistry but rather a framework grounded in twelve principles that teaches chemists to “reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture, and application of chemical products”. Green chemistry can help practising chemists undertake research and product design more efficiently, safely, and with fewer environmental and human health impacts. Currently, green chemistry is not taught ubiquitously in schools and university programs globally, despite being an essential framework. However, the green chemistry educational community has been growing rapidly and its importance is becoming more widely recognized. This is exemplified in the recently updated American Chemical Society (ACS) Guidelines for Bachelor’s Degree Programs, which now require undergraduate students to have a working knowledge of green chemistry and the twelve principles that underpin it upon graduation from an accredited program. To help schools to achieve these transformations and shift how chemistry is taught, Beyond Benign—a registered 501(c)3 non-profit based in the U.S. —supports educators (including higher education faculty and K-12 teachers) to teach chemistry through the lens of green chemistry. Our programs provide opportunities for peer-to-peer networking and mentorship for educators, access to freely available curriculum resources (including greener lab experiments, lesson plans, modules, and more), access to grants and professional development opportunities, and more. Beyond Benign recently launched the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC) in partnership with the ACS Green Chemistry Institute. The GCTLC is a virtual platform that provides a one-stop shop for all things green chemistry education. Users can search for and find other users and community members from across the world, post questions and share information in forums, search the community events calendar, find green chemistry job opportunities, contribute to the GCTLC’s searchable library of open-access resources, and more. This presentation will provide an overview of Beyond Benign’s programs and in particular a discussion of the newly launched GCTLC platform. Our approach to creating an inclusive and welcoming space that fosters a sense of belonging will be emphasized. Ultimately, we will discuss how the GCTLC creates opportunities for ongoing engagement through a global community of practice for green chemistry education.

Has Part

https://youtu.be/SdwkxAzqEBg

Series/Report Name or Number

Sustainable Seminar Series

Type of Resource

• text
• moving image

Language

eng

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