Thirteen Chattanooga area high school students graduate from BASF’s TECH Academy

CHATTANOOGA, TN, June 16, 2023 — Thirteen Hamilton County high school students graduated from BASF’s TECH Academy program which, in partnership with Chattanooga State Community College, introduces students to technical and craft careers through skills classes, workshops and industry tours.

“TECH Academy gives high school students a unique opportunity to explore a wide range of career opportunities through hands-on activities with industry professionals,” said Brittany Davis, Operations Manager at BASF’s Chattanooga site. “BASF sponsors this program in collaboration with Chattanooga State Community College in hopes that students interested in technical careers feel more prepared and empowered to pursue jobs within STEM fields.”

TECH Academy began each day with a hands-on classroom session with experiments and demonstrations led by Chattanooga State instructors. Students then participated in afternoon field trips to local manufacturing facilities where they gained insight into different industry procedures and practices and learned about career opportunities. Students toured Tennessee American Water, Nokian Tyres, Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga Bakery, and BASF’s Chattanooga facility.

In addition to industry tours and classroom demonstrations, the students learned soft skills and technical skills such as engineering practices, welding, mechatronics and more.

“BASF’s TECH Academy helps kids my age decide what type of career they may want to pursue,” said Tauheedah Brady, high school senior at Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy. “I’m interested in a technical career path and this program allowed me to see various opportunities up close. I think it’s great that BASF and Chattanooga State Community College offer TECH Academy every summer. Everyone should take advantage of this program.”

TECH Academy is part of BASF’s STEM education and workforce development efforts in North America to support industry growth and regional investment. The program is funded annually by BASF and is free for students. The application process is open to any local student going into their junior or senior year of high school interested in technical careers. Applications for the 2024 TECH Academy will open in February.

The following students completed TECH Academy 2023:

• Adrienne Wendel – STEM School Chattanooga
• Zachary Vaillancourt – Virtual Academy
• Alex Vaillancourt – Central High School
• Kennedi Winbush – Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts
• Tauheedah Brady – Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy
• Isaac Kyle – Aaron Academy
• Will Owens – Homeschool
• McKenna Tew – Silverdale Baptist Academy
• Noah Tew – Silverdale Baptist Academy
• Ja'Mauri Benford – Tyner High School
• Lucas Combs – Berean Academy
• Alex Bright – Ooltewah High School
• Adam Bright – Ooltewah High School

A gallery of images for media use may be viewed here.

For more information about BASF in Tennessee, visit http://www.basf.us/tennessee.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America and had sales of $25.7 billion in 2022. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com/us.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €87.3 billion in 2022. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.