Through our annual Solvay Citizen Day, we live our Purpose by bonding and volunteering in our communities. Since physical meetings were not possible in 2020, we transformed Citizen Day into a virtual effort to educate students in our communities about STEM* topics, the work we do at Solvay, and how chemistry is the key to reinventing progress in so many areas.
The theme of Solvay Citizen Day 2020 was We Educate, We Bond. Employees from all over the world connected with students virtually in different ways by offering coaching sessions, giving virtual classes for a local school or presenting a production, technology or solution at Solvay. Some employees created educational videos which demonstrated scientific experiments that parents and students could do at home, while others explained what they do in their day-to-day jobs or how Solvay’s products, solutions, technologies contribute to solving societal and environmental challenges today.
For instance, Matt Clauss, Regional Sales Director, Technology Solutions, in the United States held a virtual session for students on UV additives and recycling for plastics. “Even with the virtual platform, the kids were energized and engaged to learn about our business and how we positively contribute to society,” Matt explained. “I’m excited to watch our future heroes grow and develop a passion for science, life and the community.”
Future Innovators’ Library
The educational videos created for Solvay Citizen Day can be found on the Future Innovators’ Library, which is a virtual learning hub designed to help broaden learning experience for students in creative and fun ways. The online learning portal created for Solvay’s Citizen Day will continue to remain online with the long-term objective of democratizing and popularizing STEM subjects for children, students, and people of all ages around the world.
“As a proud participant to the validation committee for the Future Innovator’s Library, I hope that the videos created by Solvay employees will be the spark that inspires many children to develop their scientific vocations. They are the ones who will have to go beyond and face the environmental challenges that science will have to solve in the coming years.”
Alberto Sancibrián Human Resources, Torrelavega, Spain
A partnership to inspire young girls to pursue STEM
The Future Innovators’ Library was created in partnership with greenlight for girls (g4g), an NGO dedicated to inspiring girls (and boys) of all ages and backgrounds to pursue a STEM education. Their international network and robust experience in creating fun learning opportunities to make science more accessible made them an ideal partner for Solvay’s first large scale, global educational project.
Solvay’s Citizen Day 2020 was very much in the spirit of our founder Ernest Solvay who strongly supported scientific education and in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals aiming to improve education globally.
“Our goal is to inspire more girls and children around the world to take up STEM subjects, and we need great partners, such as Solvay, to do this. The Future Innovator’s Library empowers Solvay’s employees to share their expertise and truly, make a difference.”
Mélissa Rancourt Founder and Chairman of greenlight for girls (g4g)
4,700
employees participated
190,000
students reached in November 2020
Watch the videos
Solvay Citizen Day around the world
How to purify water?
* STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics