SOCIAL CHALLENGES

According  to a study  by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), there are fewer temporary migrant children enrolled in junior high schools as compared to the national average. This poses an issue for future generations and raises concerns about access to education for millions of children in China.

PROJECT APPROACH

Covestro launched several science education projects, starting with the “Good Neighbor Project” initiated by the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) in 2010. The Covestro “MagicMaterial School” has recently increased its capacity to involve more students and bring the joy of science to the general public through science fairs. Covestro leveraged its technology and material expertise to create a Covestro science classroom in the Zhelin School, a local elementary and high school located in the Fengxian district, Shanghai for children of migrant workers ranging from six to sixteen years old. Covestro invited employees to deliver classes at the school focusing on marine litter education, home, and road safety. In addition, the company has published a storybook later turned into an appcalled “Bright Mind for a Brighter World,” in which readers learn about various aspects of waste management.

VALUE ADDED

The “MagicMaterial School” has reached 6,000 students and 10,000 people in the general public. The school also provides a unique volunteering platform for Covestro employees. Covestro also spearheaded the “Maker Faire,” a family friendly festival for all ages, gathering tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, thinkers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. It started in 2006 in San Francisco, USA, and has since spread to countries worldwide. There are over 200+ “Maker Fairs” in Tokyo, Rome, Shenzhen, Taipei, Seoul, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, and now Shanghai. During the two day event, Covestro’s booth welcomed hundreds of visitors, out of which 70% were children and parents.

LESSONS LEARNED

During the development of the science class, Covestro leveraged its expertise in R&D and the rich experience from NGO partners, Rendu Ocean and SafeKids Worldwide. The company learned that employee volunteers who are involved in delivering every Covestro science class are the most critical resource. To allow more students to ben- efit from the “MagicMaterial School,” Covestro aims to reach out to more schools in need of external resources to promote science education.

IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE

With its “MagicMaterial School,” the company leverages technological advance- ments to help the community. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic and increased home education in the Greater China region, Covestro is working on a STEM education website that will include fun and simple experiments students can do at home. The project is currently planned to launch in Q2/2021.

Source：More Than A Market Booklet 2021