Dow, CH2M and Smithsonian join forces to provide professional development to teachers

BATON ROUGE, La., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Providing teachers with world-class training in southern Louisiana is the newest way that Dow and CH2M are helping local students become the foundation of the future workforce.

Committed supporters of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education, Dow and CH2M have partnered with the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) to bring the Smithsonian STEM Education Forum to Baton Rouge. The Forum will provide 50 local teachers with a day of hands-on training that will empower them to incorporate engineering into their classrooms, benefitting hundreds of local students for years to come. Set for Saturday, Feb. 18, the Forum will feature experts from SSEC, a unit of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, based in Washington, D.C., two professors from Louisiana Tech University, along with Dow and CH2M employee volunteers.

"We are excited to expand our partnership with CH2M and the Smithsonian Science Education Center to provide this incredible opportunity here in Baton Rouge as we realize teachers have such an important role in fostering student achievement," said Abby Cook, Louisiana Public Affairs manager for Dow. "Our local students will be our workforce of tomorrow and drive our region's prosperity, and we are glad to partner to bring them the best training possible."

"The CH2M Foundation is fortunate to partner with Dow and the Smithsonian Science Education Center, both of whom share our belief that inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders in Louisiana starts with our teachers," said Ellen Sandberg, executive director of the CH2M Foundation. "This unique learning opportunity demonstrates to our educators that they are highly valued and critical to the success of our students, while encouraging young people to pursue science and engineering careers."

This local program builds off the two companies' partnership with SSEC to bring teachers from Louisiana and other strategic communities to Washington, D.C.Many Louisiana teachers who have been able to take part in that opportunity will be in Baton Rouge on Feb. 18 to share what they have learned and help build a community of educators around the Forum.

"We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Dow and CH2M to bring our program of scientific discovery and advanced professional development to Louisiana. This experience affords teachers the opportunity to engage in authentic STEM experiences by working directly with scientists and other experts, and bring the exciting learnings back to their local classrooms," said Carol O'Donnell, director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center. "We are grateful to both companies for their commitment to empowering teachers to prepare and inspire the next generation of our STEM workforce."

In addition, Dow STEM Ambassador volunteers and CH2M employee volunteers will provide ongoing engagement to the teachers in their classrooms by offering continued support on various topics including safety, how to bring technical expertise to life for students, and by offering in person STEM-related classroom demonstrations and career talks.

This collaboration is a strong example of both companies' efforts to connect employee engagement with sustainability. Dow's 2025 Sustainability Goal, Engaging Employees for Impact, has committed to using employee volunteerism to impact the lives of 1 billion people; and CH2M fosters employee engagement to develop sustainable communities and address global challenges.

Learn more about Dow's commitment to building the workforce of tomorrow.

Discover CH2M's STEM education and global citizenship strategy.

Learn about the Smithsonian Science Education Center.

About CH2M
CH2M leads the professional services industry delivering sustainable solutions benefiting societal, environmental and economic outcomes with the development of infrastructure and industry. In this way, CH2Mers make a positive difference providing consulting, design, engineering and management services for clients in water; environment and nuclear; transportation; energy and industrial markets, from iconic infrastructure to global programs like the Olympic Games. Ranked among the World's Most Ethical Companies and top firms in environmental consulting and program management, CH2M in 2016 became the first professional services firm honored with the World Environment Center Gold Medal Award for efforts advancing sustainable development. Connect with CH2M at www.ch2m.com; LinkedIn; Twitter; and Facebook.

About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company is driving innovations that extract value from material, polymer, chemical and biological science to help address many of the world's most challenging problems, such as the need for fresh food, safer and more sustainable transportation, clean water, energy efficiency, more durable infrastructure, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's integrated, market-driven portfolio delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in 175 countries and in high-growth sectors such as packaging, infrastructure, transportation, consumer care, electronics, and agriculture. In 2016, Dow had annual sales of $48 billion and employed approximately 56,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 7,000 product families are manufactured at 189 sites in 34 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com. 

About the Smithsonian Science Education Center
The mission of the Smithsonian Science Education Center (formerly the National Science Resources Center) is to improve K-12 teaching and learning of science for all students in the United States and throughout the world. The center is nationally and internationally recognized for the quality of its programs and its impact on K-12 science education.

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SOURCE CH2M