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Green Chemistry Education


This page provides information about various activities and resources that support the development and inclusion of green chemistry concepts into educational curricula.

Background

In order for green chemistry to be incorporated effectively into chemical product and process designs, it first must be incorporated into the chemistry education system. For green chemistry to enter widespread practice, chemists must be educated about green chemistry during their academic and professional training. To accomplish this goal, EPA supports a variety of educational efforts that include the development of materials and courses to assist in the training of professional chemists in industry and education of students. Consequently, the chemical industry is discovering that when their professional chemists are knowledgeable about pollution prevention concepts, they are able to identify and implement effective pollution prevention technologies.

American Chemical Society/EPA Cooperative Activities

Green chemistry is a proven pollution prevention approach toward environmentally sustainable manufacture, an important strategy for protecting human health and the environment. Despite the success of green chemistry in accomplishing this national goal, target audiences have been identified as lacking the proper exposure to and education in the green chemistry concept and approach. For this reason, EPA and the American Chemical Society (ACS) Exit EPAinitiated cooperative activities in the summer of 1998 to research and develop materials for educating a broad but necessary audience about green chemistry. The ACS green chemistry education Exit EPA Web site contains useful educational materials that are, in part, a result of this collaboration.

Although the primary audience of these activities is undergraduate and graduate chemistry students, the audience will also include professional chemists, K-12 students, and the general public. The activities include the development of new, advanced green chemistry materials that will assist in the quick incorporation of the concept of green chemistry in undergraduate and graduate chemistry courses. Other materials being developed may include new, general materials appropriate for the K-12 level and the general public as well as multi-media tools such as videos and CDs. In addition, many of ACS' existing educational materials will be revised to include the concept of green chemistry. The 5th Edition of Chemistry in Context Exit EPA(McGraw Hill College Division, 2006), for example, features examples of green chemistry throughout the text.

The above objectives are being accomplished by engaging the most notable individuals in the fields of green chemistry and chemical education through a series of planning meetings and workshops. The project's kick-off workshop was held in October of 1998 to determine the general goals and time line of the initiative. Several projects were identified as top priorities for development: an informational pamphlet on green chemistry, an annotated bibliography, a series of case studies for undergraduates, and green chemistry laboratory modules. The pamphlet, annotated bibliography, case studies, and other education materials are available from the ACS green chemistry education Exit EPA Web site. Dissemination of green chemistry information and materials is also being accomplished through conferences, workshops, and national meetings.

A list of educational resources is available at the ACS Green Chemistry Institute Web site Exit EPA.

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Kenneth G. Hancock Memorial Award in Green Chemistry

One of the earliest proponents of green chemistry and ‘environmentally benign chemical synthesis and processing' was Dr. Kenneth G. Hancock, Director of the Division of Chemistry at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Hancock was an active advocate emphasizing the role of chemists and chemistry not only in solving environmental problems of the past, but more importantly in avoiding environmental problems in the future. It was therefore a great loss to the advancement of green chemistry when Dr. Hancock died unexpectedly while attending an environmental chemistry conference in Eastern Europe in the Fall of 1993.

Dr. Hancock's colleagues from academia, government, and industry have come together to award an annual Kenneth G. Hancock Memorial Award in green chemistry, offered under the auspices of the American Chemical Society's Division of Environmental Chemistry Exit EPA. The Hancock Award is presented in conjunction with the annual ceremony for the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards.

ACS President Dr. Paul Anderson announced the Hancock Memorial Award in Green Chemistry in June of 1997 as an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to compete for a prestigious memorial award in recognition of undergraduate and graduate studies and/or research in green chemistry. The award provides national recognition for outstanding student contributions to furthering the goals of green chemistry. The ACS Green Chemistry Institute Exit EPAinvites nominations that describe the technical benefits as well as human health and environmental benefits of a student study or research project. The Awards Program is open to all students. Nominations received for the award are judged by members of the ACS Division of Environmental Chemistry. One award is given annually.

The deadline for entering the Award Competition is February 1st.

The Green Chemistry Institute Web site contains additional information and the application package for the Hancock Award Exit EPA.

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Joseph Breen Memorial Fellowship in Green Chemistry

In 2000, the ACS Green Chemistry Institute Exit EPAand the American Chemical Society (ACS) Exit EPAestablished the Joseph Breen Memorial Fund through the ACS' International Endowment Fund. This fund commemorates Dr. Jospeh Breen's commitment to and accomplishments for the advancement of green chemistry. Each year, on an annual basis, the fund awards one or more Joseph Breen Memorial Fellowships. Recipients are named as Joseph Breen Memorial Fellows.

The award funds will be used to sponsor the participation of a young international green chemistry scholar in a green chemistry technical meeting, conference, or training program. In 2002, the fund financed the travel and expenses of a young international green chemistry scholar to attend the Green Chemistry Gordon Research Conference in Oxford, UK, September 8-13, 2002. Contact Dr. Kirchhoff (see below) for information about the specific green chemistry opportunity for subsequent years.

The criteria for award of this fellowship are as follows:

The Green Chemistry Institute Web site contains application information for the Breen Fellowship Exit EPA.

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Other Educational Resources

Beyond Benign Exit EPA is a nonprofit organization focused on promoting green chemistry across industry, academia, and the general public in order to create a safer and more sustainable world. Beyond Benign specializes in curriculum development, education and training. They host a variety of Green Chemistry programs geared specifically for K-12 educators, professionals and community members.

Greener Education Materials for Chemists (GEMS) Exit EPA is an interactive collection of chemistry education materials focused on green chemistry. The database is a comprehensive source of education materials including laboratory exercises, lecture materials, course syllabi and multimedia content that illustrate chemical concepts important for green chemistry. Each entry includes a description of the item and is searchable by a variety of parameters, including chemistry concepts, laboratory techniques, green chemistry principles, and target audience.

Green Chemistry Education Network (GCEdNet) Exit EPA is a network of scientists dedicated to promoting the adoption of green chemistry into chemistry curricula.
 
University of Scranton Exit EPA offers a variety of resources that help educators incorporate green chemistry into their chemistry classes.

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