Global Social Commitment Close to Our Sites
As a good corporate citizen, we support education, science, and research projects near our sites. Worldwide. But we also ensure continuous development and equal opportunities within our company.
Mathematics, computer science, and technology are key drivers of social progress and play a decisive role in economic development. Scientific solutions also pave the way for our company to achieve its environmental and climate protection goals. ALTANA therefore seeks to introduce young people to the natural sciences at an early age and arouse their enthusiasm for them. To this end, as a good neighbor, we support a variety of projects close to our sites together with experienced partners. To achieve a lasting effect, our support extends over several years if possible. ALTANA is also involved in multiple social projects.
ALTANA has been supporting an "educational coaching” project at the largest community elementary school (GGS Innenstadt) in Wesel since 2014. The project was initiated by the city of Wesel and is implemented by the Klausenhof Academy in close cooperation with GGS Innenstadt. Its main aim is to help support disadvantaged children of elementary school age and to help achieve equal opportunities for children with a migration background and from socially disadvantaged families. ALTANA finances the personnel and material costs of a socio-educational expert at the Klausenhof Academy. The expert finds mentors for the children, qualifies them, and coordinates their activities. More than 81 children have been supported since the project began in 2014. One of them is Leon. Read the whole story here: “Leon is Now on the Ball”. There are currently 20 volunteer mentors who individually support and challenge the girls and boys in their personal development according to their abilities.
"Jugend gründet": ALTANA enables research trips to the U.S.
ALTANA supports the competition “Jugend gründet” (Youth Startups), sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Since 2015 the company is offering a special prize in chemistry. This is connected with a trip to Wallingford on the East Coast of the U.S., where the winners can visit one of the ALTANA Group's largest research and production sites at BYK USA and take part in an interesting social program.
"Stiftung Kinder forschen": Promoting young scientists at elementary schools and daycare centers
For many years now, ALTANA has participated as a regional network partner in the promotion of a new generation of scientists in cooperation with the Germany-wide foundation "Kinder forschen". In this context, our school ambassadors support special project weeks at one elementary school in Wesel and at the German Red Cross (DRK) daycare center Abenteuerland, respectively. The project weeks serve to kindle the children’s interest in scientific phenomena and to train their problem-solving skills.
In addition, we traditionally invite the little researchers along with their parents, teachers, and educators to our group headquarters once a year. At our premises, they can spend an afternoon presenting their experiments and research results from the project weeks.
Advanced training brings teachers and top STEM researchers together
Passion for STEM subjects starts with enthusiastic teachers. That is why ALTANA has been supporting a nationwide training program organized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Club of Germany since 2016 aimed specifically at science teachers. Under the motto “School with Science,” the three-day conference gives teachers a platform to exchange experiences and serves the mediation of new scientific findings. Without the support of sponsors such as ALTANA, the top-class event with Nobel Prize winners and other scientists would not be possible.
