Education & Social Integration

Education

Young people's ideas, creativity and skills will determine the future of the economy and social stability. Educational systems therefore need to adopt a framework and practices that enable young people to develop the right skills. By stimulating enthusiasm for science and chemistry at an early age, today's young and inquisitive minds will become tomorrow's leading scientists and innovators.

Borealis therefore supports programmes that motivate children and young people to learn more about science and to consider a scientific career. Borealis co-finances and provides technical expertise to experimental laboratories in the countries that are home to its innovation centres – Austria, Finland and Sweden.

Ocean Eye, Austria 

Hands-on learning opportunity about microplastics

The increasing volume of microplastics ending up in our environment and even in our food where they do not belong at all is a pressing issue and a growing concern. One aspect of addressing this critical issue is science-based education. Ocean Eye is an initiative funded by Borealis which aims to raise awareness about the issue of microplastics.

Ocean Eye is a mobile escape box that is based on solid, fact-based science. It aims to induce a curious and inquiring mind-set and makes science accessible and understandable by providing interactive, easy to comprehend hands-on learning opportunities.

Visit www.escapebox.at

The JKU Open Lab, Linz, Austria

Experiment, marvel and comprehend science

Borealis sponsors the JKU Open Lab, which was inaugurated in 2013 and is perfectly located in a centre of scientific education - the Johannes Kepler University campus in Linz, Austria. The JKU Open Lab is a place where children, teens and anyone else interested in science can enter the fascinating world of chemistry through hands-on activities. Guided by skilled tutors and with hands-on experiments tailored to specific age groups, the JKU Open Lab lets young visitors step behind the scenes of the scientific world, reflect on how natural science simplifies and enriches our daily lives – for example, in what we eat, wear and wash – and put into practice what they have learned in school.

Overcoming today's global challenges will need a continuous supply of well-educated scientists, to discover and apply solutions that will ensure a sustainable future. The JKU Open Lab therefore aims to stimulate early interest in a career in natural sciences, particularly in chemistry and plastics, and to spark young people's enthusiasm for researching new solutions.

Contact:
Dr. Silke Renger
Tel: +43 (732) 24 68 15 90
E-mail: Silke.Renger@jku.at

Science Centre Stenungsund (Molekylverkstan)

Stimulating future innovators

Molekylverkstan is an innovative science discovery centre, which aims to excite children and young adults about the natural sciences. It was founded in the early 1990s as a joint initiative between the major chemical companies in the Stenungsund area in Sweden – Borealis, AGA Gas, AkzoNobel, INOVYN and Perstorp Oxo.

Open year round with free admission, the popular and successful centre attracts around 50,000 visitors each year. It makes science accessible, enjoyable and inspiring through simple, practical experiments that show the relevance of science to everyday life. Its hands-on approach demonstrates and explains the complex relationships in the world of chemistry, in ways that make them more easily understood and appreciated. Molekylverkstan also trains chemistry and natural science teachers from all over Sweden.

As a member of the Association of Swedish Science Centres, Molekylverkstan actively participates in the annual International Science Festival in Gothenburg, one of Europe's leading popular science events and the only one of its kind in Sweden.

Contact:
Tel +46 303 73 80 31

Visit www.molekylverkstan.se (Swedish)

Borealis Science Week, Gothenburg, Sweden

Gaining insight into life as a researcher

Borealis & Unga Forskare's Science Week enables 20 students, aged 15 to 16, to spend one week of their summer holiday at the University of Gothenburg. They perform experiments in the university's laboratories and get a flavour of life as a researcher. The aim is to develop and stimulate their interest in natural science and technology. Unga Forskare is a non-profit association for young people interested in natural science, technology and mathematics, and was founded in 1977.

Visit www.ungaforskare.se (Swedish)

Social Integration

Helping refugees become part of the community

In light of the refugee situation in Europe, Borealis has supported a number of initiatives to help refugees arrive and integrate into Austria in the long term.

One of the projects supported through the Borealis Social Fund is the construction of a playground for refugee children at the asylum centre in Traiskirchen, Austria. Designed and implemented by Architektur2000, the colourful and exciting playground will give children the chance to enjoy themselves, be children again and forget – at least for a few moments – their desperate and often dangerous escape from their homes in crisis regions. For the adults, the area serves as a meeting place to connect and build relationships with other refugee families.

Borealis has also donated to SOS Kinderdorf (SOS Children's Village) and Caritas Austria. The donation is being used to provide homes for unaccompanied refugee children, to help refugees learn German and prepare for school and work, to support integration and to organise cultural awareness dialogue sessions. Borealis also supported the Emirates Red Crescent's refugee relief efforts in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.

Learn more about the Emirates Red Crescent's refugee relief efforts

Borealis and Better Shelter

Building a brighter future for school children in Iraq

Borealis’ social engagement strategy includes a commitment to promoting education and social integration. This recognises that businesses need to foster a healthy environment and stable society, in order to grow sustainably. In support of this aim, Borealis is a key partner of a programme run by Swiss non-governmental organisation Terre des Hommes, to improve education for thousands of children in Iraq.

Through substantial funding by Borealis and other donors, Terre des Hommes, has distributed 1,152 units to 330 schools in the Kirkuk and Salah al-Din regions of Iraq. The temporary schooling facilities are delivered by Better Shelter, a for-profit start-up social enterprise, and constructed from extrusion foamed plastic panels using HMS PP material supplied by Borealis.

Supporting welfare organisations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

For many years, Borealis has supported leading social organisations in the UAE through the Borealis Social Fund:

Emirates Foundation

Working with partners from the private and public sector, the Emirates Foundation has developed and implemented a range of programmes and special projects for young people, aimed at promoting social inclusion, community engagement, leadership and empowerment.

One of its programmes is "Think Science", which aims to inspire, encourage and empower young people between the ages of 15 and 35 to study science and choose it as a career path, in response to the nation's demand for scientific talent. The programme has three interrelated layers: Competition, Ambassadors and Connect. Borealis has hosted Think Science Ambassadors at the Borouge Innovation Centre on more than one occasion. The Ambassadors were given an insight into the whole plastics value chain including production, application segments and the whole plastics lifecycle.

Visit www.emiratesfoundation.ae

UAE Disabled Sports Federation

The UAE Disabled Sports Federation was established to promote better awareness of disabled people's needs and to encourage their active integration into society. The Federation supports athletes participating in a wide range of disciplines, who regularly compete in regional, national and international events.

The athletes' achievements were rewarded when Abu Dhabi city won the right to host the Special Olympics World Games 2019, featuring 22 sports, including football, swimming, cycling, athletics, equestrian and powerlifting.

Visit www.uaedsf.ae

Emirates National Schools

Since 2002, the Emirates National School has offered world-class educational programmes, from day care centre through to grade twelve, to prepare students for post-secondary studies. Approximately 9,200 students are enrolled in the 2016–17 school year, at five campuses sharing a common curriculum.

Borealis supported Emirates National Schools with funding for projects which support student learning. For example:

Updating science laboratories used in student instruction, which allowed Emirates National School to achieve IB Diploma Program Authorization to offer Standard and High Level classes in physics, biology, chemistry and environmental sciences, as well as College Board Advanced Placement classes in the same content areas.
Sponsoring the Model United Nations simulation programme for approximately 700 students in grade 5-12, from different schools in Abu Dhabi.
Using electronic materials technology in the teaching of Arabic.

Visit www.ens.sch.ae

Borealis and the Johannes Kepler University create the “MORE” scholarship for asylum seekers and beneficiaries

The success of integration is largely dependent upon education and training, and therefore within the refugee initiative of the same name, Borealis and the Johannes Kepler University (JKU) in Linz, Austria have instituted the joint “MORE Scholarship”, which provides financial support to asylum applicants and beneficiaries. an important element to enable them to start or continue their education as students receiving basic social services are largely excluded from financial grants.

The Borealis MORE scholarship closes gaps, where governmental support is insufficient because education is one of the key factors in aiding the efforts of our new fellow-citizens to become part of our society and offer them a future.

Scholarship allocations are dependent upon the fulfilment of various preconditions (admission to a JKU study course, a refugee background, approval by the selection committee, no access to a student grant) and the achievement of certain performance standards (conclusion of a learning agreement). The entry scholarship is dependent upon the residency and student status, paid on a monthly basis and adds up to between EUR 1,200 and 3,600 per academic year.