BASF Ireland Summer School for Chemistry Teachers

BASF, one of the world’s leading chemical companies, recognizes the crucial importance of having highly trained chemistry teachers in our schools. For the past eight years the company, which has a manufacturing site in Cork, has organized Summer Schools for chemistry teachers in Ireland.
 

The eight annual BASF Summer School for Chemistry Teachers is being held on 25-26th June 2019 in the Eureka Centre at University College Cork (UCC). This summer school involves a partnership between BASF Ireland the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), UCC and the Cork branch of the Irish Science Teachers' Association.
 

The Summer School began in 2012 as a result of chemistry teachers asking for assistance in updating their knowledge and skills to teach chemistry, particularly the newer aspects of the chemistry syllabus in Ireland. As BASF has an excellent track record in promoting chemical education, Dr Declan Kennedy, Senior Lecturer in Science Education at UCC, contacted the BASF

plant in Little Island near Cork with a request for sponsorship.
 

Initially, the Summer School was planned as a one-day event, but it has always run over two days because so many teachers apply for places each year. Due to the heavy emphasis on practical work, attendance is limited to 35 teachers each day. In addition to the 70 teachers attending this year there was also a waiting list of 20 teachers on each day.
 

Speaking at the launch of the Summer School, Bart Van de Voorde, Site Manager of BASF Ireland, said he hoped the two-day event would enhance the chemistry teachers’ knowledge and understanding of key areas of the Leaving Certificate Chemistry syllabus, as well as updating their laboratory practical skills and providing them with good teaching ideas.