Contact: Lynn Solorio,
Manager, Stakeholder Communications
Carus Corporation
815-224-6682 or
lynn.solorio@caruscorporation.com

LaSalle/Peru, IL. -- Carus Corporation Company and Peru Catholic School team up to spark students’ interest in studying Chemistry and other areas of science.

As part of its widespread educational outreach program, Carus donates “You Be The Chemist” kits to Peru Catholic School for use by fifth- and sixth-graders studying Chemistry. The kits were developed by the Chemical Educational Foundation to provide new and innovative techniques to serve as a teacher’s aid to engage students in science, to make chemistry concepts fun and easy for students and teachers, to provide an outreach tool for the chemical industry, and to emphasize the role of chemicals in our everyday lives.

Donald Loebach, Science teacher at Peru Catholic School grades 5 through 8, has been using the “You Be The Chemist” kits as part of his classroom instruction for many years. A favorite experiment among his students is the creation of “Goofy Putty.” Loebach adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to teaching Chemistry by extending the lesson across several fields of study. The teams of students create their own labels, packaging, and advertising for their products.

The kits contain 30 hands-on student-centered lesson plans that cover topics such as scientific inquiry, the structure of matter, and safety and recycling. In order to make real-world connections to chemistry and create a more teacher friendly curriculum, experiment materials consist of small amounts of common household non-toxic items. In addition to inquiry-based activities, the kits contain homework, assessments, vocabulary, puzzles, historical connections and writing assignments.

“We have implemented CEF’s “You Be The Chemist” in our schools and communities and have gained extremely positive feedback,” said Aziz Asphahani, member of the Board of Directors of Carus Corporation. “These are high impact programs with the power to excite students to learn more about chemicals and chemistry. We’re pleased to work with CEF on these unique sponsorship opportunities.”

Carus Corporation, a division of Carus Corporation, was founded in LaSalle, Illinois in 1915, and is the world’s leading manufacturer of potassium permanganate, which is used mainly for environmental applications: to improve the quality of drinking water, to treat municipal and industrial wastewater, in air purification systems, and in the remediation (clean-up) of contaminated sites.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Arlington, VA, the Chemical Educational Foundation is dedicated to fostering a greater understanding of the science of chemistry, the benefits of chemicals, and the importance of chemical safety awareness. Carus Corporation is a long-time member and active supporter of the Chemical Educational Foundation.

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