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Students in rural communities create chemistry with BASF Kids’ Lab

Oct. 23, 2014 - BASF Canada and Earth Rangers are expanding BASF Kids' Lab, a series of hands-on chemistry workshops developed by BASF for students in grades four through six, to rural schools across Western Canada. The program has already reached more than 1,200 Canadian students and is now expanding into additional communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba with a new agriculture-focused workshop.

From October to December 2014, the program will engage more than 800 students at approximately 30 western Canadian schools, at no cost to the schools or participants. The 45-minute session, entitled "We Dig Soil," will include an earth as an apple demonstration to illustrate the amount of land available for agriculture, as well as a fun hands-on activity to illustrate how soil acts as a filter. Participants will also get to take home a BASF backpack including safety goggles, an apron and farming activity placemat.

"Earth Rangers educates children about the importance of maintaining healthy environments where they live. Rural communities have a strong connection to agriculture, so delivering BASF Kids' Lab to students in these communities provides an excellent opportunity to educate children about the science behind agriculture and the important role it plays in our natural world," said Peter Kendall, executive director, Earth Rangers.

Established at BASF's global headquarters in Germany in 1997, Kids' Lab invites children to explore the world of chemistry through safe and fun experiments that are designed to foster an interest in science-related hobbies and, eventually, explore its career possibilities. Over the years, the program has been successfully delivered in more than 16 countries worldwide.

"Since bringing the program to Canada, we've received very positive feedback from both students and educators," said Ron Kehler, business director, BASF Canada. "We're excited to expand it to children in rural communities this year with a special focus on agriculture."

This fall, BASF Kids' Lab "We Dig Soil" experiment is coming to schools in the following communities:

• Alberta: Lethbridge, Red Deer, Leduc
• Saskatchewan: Saskatoon, Regina, Swift Current, Moose Jaw
• Manitoba: Brandon, Portage La Prairie

For more information about Earth Rangers visit: www.earthrangers.org.
For more information about BASF Canada visit: www.agsolutions.ca.

October 23, 2014  By News release