Students from Spring Valley participated in the course as part of Project Lead the Way

Kenova, W. Va. (February 23, 2016) - As part of Braskem's continuing efforts to support STEM education, the company recently had the opportunity to provide sustainability training to students at Spring Valley High School in Huntington, W. Va. This training was part of the high school's Project Lead the Way Environmental Sustainability class. This class is new to the high school and was made possible through a grant provided by Braskem. Project Lead the Way is the leading provider of K-12 STEM programs in the U.S.

During the training, students learned about Braskem's sustainability strategy, which focuses on developing more sustainable operations and resources, creating increasingly sustainable products and finding solutions for a more sustainable life. Gary Rabik, one of the company's chemical engineers who leads Braskem's sustainability program in the U.S., also taught the students about the presence of plastics in their lives, the life cycle of plastics and how plastics help improve people's lives.

Mr. Rabik challenged the students to think about their day-to-day lives and every object they encounter.  The class was impressed by the number of plastic objects they encounter and appreciated learning about the life cycle of plastics and how they can recycle those products to do their part in being more sustainable. The students were also encouraged to problem solve and share their dreams and ideas to develop solutions to protect the environment.

"Braskem is committed to health, environment and safety with regards to our operations, team members and local communities. We believe in operating in a safe and effective manner, reducing waste, creating sustainable solutions and supporting STEM programs to help educate our neighbors in living a more sustainable life and learning about how plastics and chemicals help improve lives," said Rabik.