Teaching K-12

If you’re looking to integrate green chemistry principles and practices into your teaching through real-world sustainable inventions, this is the course for you!

ABOUT THIS COURSE

Ready to take green chemistry to the next level in your classroom? Have you already started replacing your labs with safer materials?

Join Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teacher Annette Sebuyira as you expand your knowledge of green chemistry principles and practices by analyzing Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award technologies. In this course, you’ll dive into toxicology for chemistry basics and investigate the pedagogy for effective guidance of student-based research projects and inquiry-based projects.

THIS COURSE IS RIGHT FOR YOU IF:

•  You want to support your students’ project-based learning and invention in the classroom.

•  You have completed Intro to Green Chemistry and are ready to advance to the next level.

•  You are curious about how to foster student engagement.
 

BY ENROLLING YOU’LL LEARN:

•  How to expand your knowledge of green chemistry principles and practices.

•  How to infuse student-driven projects and research into your curriculum.

•  How to develop deeper real-world chemistry connections for your students.

COURSE TOPICS INCLUDE:

•  Analyzing Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award technologies.

•  Introduction to Toxicology for chemistry basics.

•  Integration of science research into your chemistry course.

New York teachers: Apply for the Beyond Benign Green Chemistry Fellowship to implement green chemistry lessons in your classroom and lab with support from expert teacher Annette Sebuyira! This opportunity is for lab-based science teachers who have taken the Introduction to Green Chemistry for High School Teachers course and wish to take (or have previously taken) the Advanced Green Chemistry course this year. Apply by June 1st and earn 16 additional CTLE credit hours if you’re accepted. 

If you’re looking to integrate green chemistry principles and practices into your teaching through real-world sustainable inventions, this is the course for you!

ABOUT THIS COURSE

• High school chemistry teachers and middle/high school physical science teachers: Join us for a course that will support Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) integration in your classes!
• In this course, Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teacher Cassidy Javner will help prepare you to integrate green chemistry principles and practices into your teaching through real-world sustainable inventions. You’ll also learn how to develop safer labs and lessons aligned to your local standards in an interactive online environment.
• This course features forum discussions, lesson plan development, and 3 synchronous Zoom classes. Discussions will focus on how to prepare for effective remote learning in this time of an ever-changing educational landscape.

THIS COURSE IS RIGHT FOR YOU IF:

•  You want to create a safer, more engaging learning environment

•  You’re interested in how problem-solving with chemistry helps create solutions for sustainability challenges

BY ENROLLING YOU’LL LEARN:

•  How to integrate green chemistry practices and principles into your teaching

•  How to infuse NGSS learning into your classrooms by developing safer labs and lessons

COURSE TOPICS INCLUDE:

•  Developing safer labs and lessons

•  Preparing for effective student-driven learning

•  Integrating green chemistry into your teaching

WANT MENTORSHIP SUPPORT? 

New York teachers have an opportunity to pair the Advanced Green Chemistry course with a new Fellowship opportunity for teachers interested in receiving mentorship support while integrating Green Chemistry into their curriculum.

New York Teachers: Beyond Benign is now an approved CTLE Sponsor! You can earn up to 48 CTLE credit hours, and more if you participate in the Beyond Benign Green Chemistry Fellowship. Thanks to the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, these courses are free for New York teachers. For more details, contact us at [email protected].

If you’re a science teacher looking to create a safer, more engaging learning environment for your students, this is the course for you!

ABOUT THIS COURSE

Are you a science teacher looking to create a safer, more engaging learning environment for your students? Learn how to weave Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) sustainability content into your classrooms in this remote learning course for middle school and high school science teachers.

Beyond Benign Lead Teacher Erin Mayer will teach this course through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning. Participants will leave with a toolkit of resources and access to a network of other like-minded educators in the region.

THIS COURSE IS RIGHT FOR YOU IF:

•  You’re interested in engaging strategies for NGSS-aligned chemistry labs

•  You want to foster a safe and engaging classroom environment

•  You’re interested in how problem-solving with chemistry helps create solutions for sustainability challenges

BY ENROLLING YOU’LL LEARN:

•  How to weave NGSS sustainability content into your classroom

•  How to spark student interest and increase self-efficacy in your classroom

COURSE TOPICS INCLUDE:

• NGSS-aligned labs featuring easily accessible and safe materials

•  Plug and play lessons for physical science in chemistry classrooms

•  Lessons based on real-world innovations

New York Teachers: Beyond Benign is now an approved CTLE Sponsor! You can earn up to 48 CTLE credit hours, and more if you participate in the Beyond Benign Green Chemistry Fellowship. Thanks to the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, these courses are free for New York teachers. For more details, contact us at [email protected].

Calling New York-based teachers in grades 6-12! Join us for our New York Green Chemistry Professional Learning Team, where your professional growth aligns with New York State learning standards for pedagogy and student performance. This collaborative initiative is designed to enhance your instructional skills through demonstrations, peer reviews, and a strong emphasis on lab safety. By exploring green chemistry principles and integrating them into your current labs, you will not only expand your knowledge but also help create a safer and more sustainable learning environment for your students.

Our monthly virtual meetings foster a supportive community of practice where educators can share their experiences and learn from one another. You will have the opportunity to analyze student work and refine your teaching strategies while building a collective repository of greener laboratory practices. Together, we will improve pedagogical skills and confidence, promote educational leadership, and enhance student achievement through real-world problem-solving experiences. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to collaborate and grow alongside fellow science educators!

💬 Led by Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teacher Scott Carlson

🗓️ Third Thursday of each month from February to June 2026

⏰ 7-8:30 p.m. ET

📍 Online - Zoom link upon registration 

Are you a teacher based in New York? Attend the 130th STANYS ​Annual Conference from November 7th to 10th in Syracuse! This year’s theme, “Sensemaking – The Power of Making Connections,” emphasizes the crucial role of interdisciplinary connections in scientific discovery and problem-solving, mirroring the interconnected nature of the world around us. 

👋 If you attend, be sure to connect with Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teachers Stefanie Loomis and Scott Carlson and Community Engagement Manager Michelle Ernst Modera! These green chemistry leaders will be tabling and sharing K-8 activities you won’t want to miss. 

Submit your abstract to the Symposium: Advancing Green Chemistry Education: The Process, Research and New Developments in Curricular Activities which will take place at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring 2025 meeting in CA& Hybrid.

Abstract

There is an increase in educational activities aimed at enhancing knowledge and use of Green Chemistry principles and applications. However, with demands in academia, this sometimes presents a barrier to wider adoption across the curriculum. This symposium explores the process of developing Green Chemistry activities, courses, and curricular changes, sharing how educators got started and progressed through development. The discussion will cover research, theory-based methodology, and pedagogical strategies used to revamp or develop activities, as well as chemical education research on this process. The session will also discuss the pivotal role of change agents—educators and researchers who drive the adoption of innovative practices and sustainable principles in education. By sharing the developmental journey and the theoretical underpinnings of our assessment strategies, the session aims to contribute to the broader discourse on advancing Green Chemistry education and to inspire ongoing research and implementation of effective teaching methodologies. Speakers from all sectors of the CHED community are invited to share how they are integrating green and sustainable chemistry, systems-thinking, toxicology, and social/environmental justice into their classrooms, laboratory curriculum, undergraduate research and outreach activities. Interdisciplinary and international perspectives are welcome, as are student speakers at the undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral levels, including those from minority-serving institutions.

Deadline for Submission is Monday, September 30.

Discover the latest addition to the 4-H STEM Curriculum for Grades 9-12: Sustainable Polymers: Confronting the Plastic Crisis. This curriculum was created in partnership with the CSP and is designed to engage youth in understanding and addressing the environmental impacts of plastic waste.

Webinar Details:

#1: May 15, 2024

10am PDT | 11am MDT | 12pm CDT | 1pm EDT

Register at https://bit.ly/Polymer1 

#2: May 23, 2024

9am PDT | 10am MDT | 11am CDT | 12pm EDT

Register at https://bit.ly/Polymer2 

Calling all K-12 teachers! Create safer, more engaging learning environments by integrating green chemistry and sustainable science principles into your classroom. Join your peers at our monthly professional development series: Observe, Wonder, Think: A Green Chemistry Interactive Webinar Series to learn how! Register to stay in the loop about upcoming speakers.

This year, the monthly Observe, Wonder, Think webinar series will highlight the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry!  Each webinar will focus on 1-2 Green Chemistry Principles. We will bring the focus principles to life with a short, engaging classroom learning activity. Our guest speakers will share how they incorporate the focus principles into their classroom learning activities and labs. Opportunities for discussion will be integrated throughout each webinar.   

This dedicated monthly time is designed to bring the green chemistry community together to advance the field and share ideas and resources for inspiring students through green chemistry!  We encourage you to invite your colleagues and friends to join these virtual discussions. We will provide a certificate of participation at the end of each webinar that may be used for PD hours. 

September

Chemical Storage, Lab Safety, and Lab Waste

09/21/2023; 6PM EST
 

Presented by Mr. William McMahon, Lab Technician, State University of New York (SUNY) Jefferson Community College

Mr. McMahon has spent 20 years running the academic science labs and stockrooms at SUNY Jefferson. He will be presenting on chemical storage, lab waste disposal and lab safety. He will share many of the best practices that Jefferson has adopted to promote safety culture in the science division. He will share materials and devote time to a question & answer session.

More information is forthcoming.