There’s no dispute that STEM and STEAM skills are vital in children’s education. That’s why every November 8 since 2015, National STEM/STEAM Day illuminates science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Encouraging children to advance in these fields will crucially support the country’s backbone — and it’s future.

National STEM/STEAM Day is the perfect opportunity to explore these topics and get children excited about learning. 

Here are some fun ways to celebrate:

How to Celebrate National STEM/STEAM Day

Indulge the Inner Inventor

Kids are natural inventors. They’re always looking for ways to solve problems and make their mark on the world. STEM/STEAM skills give them the tools they need to turn their ideas into reality.

Through the power of invention, kids learn to take risks with their choices. They use their powers of critical thinking, partnership with others, problem-solving, and reasoning skills to delve forward and achieve results. STEM learning is an excellent way for kids to develop these skills while having fun.

On National STEM/STEAM Day, encourage your child to let their creativity run wild. 

Visit a Museum…Virtually

STEM education is vital to preparing the next generation of innovators and leaders. STEM learning helps students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 

On National STEM/STEAM Day, museums offer a variety of programs that engage young learners in STEM concepts. These programs are designed to spark curiosity and inspire a love of learning.

Many locations also offer free movies, guided digital tours, and webcasts and seminars to allow students to integrate with STEM learning efforts from afar.

Teach the Real World 

STEM learning is all about problem-solving and critical thinking, so it’s essential to make sure your child is engaged and excited about the material. 

One way to do this is by using games and puzzles focusing on STEM concepts. Not only will your child be having fun, but they’ll also be learning critical STEM skills.

All STEM/STEAM-based projects focus on the crux of developing thoughtful solutions for real-world concerns. A key for students, these projects allow them to see and experience the impact of what they’ve learned. 

Students doing a presentation in the classroom about real world STEM studies

By studying STEM, you can learn how to make the world a better place. With a STEM education, you might be the one to find the solutions to the world’s problems.

Improve with Art

Developing artists whose creativity extends beyond the realms of fantasy find encouragement to build on their skills by creating fresh STEM projects that unite technology with art.

STEM offers artists a chance to explore new dimensions in their work, and to create something that is both functional and beautiful. By combining art and STEM, artists can bring their vision to life in ways that were once impossible.

Young girl building a Robotic Car In a STEM Lesson

Some of the most popular STEM projects for artists include 3D printing, robotics, and circuitry.

What are we are doing

As part of our contribution to science education, Redox has donated to the Chemical Educational Foundation (CEF) through their ‘You Be The Chemist’ program.”

You Be The Chemist inspires students, engages educators, and strengthens communities to build a better world through the science of chemistry.

You Be The Chemist is building the future workforce by celebrating the role of science and chemistry in everyday learning and life.

For more STEM and STEAM activities, Google National STEM Day, and don’t forget to celebrate our nation’s STEM and STEAM superstars — the scientists, engineers, artists, and mathematicians who make incredible things happen every day!

The importance of water is often overlooked in our modern world. National Water Week, hosted by the Australian Water Association (AWA), hopes to encourage individuals and communities to be inspired by how much we need this essential resource for life!

Difficulties in managing this precious resource are as varied as they are complex. Australia’s climate and landscape, coupled with the demands of agriculture and growing urban populations, can make water supply difficult. Northern Australia, for example, has significant water resources that are not easy to capture and store. 

Add to this, 

• Professional skills shortages 
• Bushfire contamination
• Sewage and wastewater

The Australian Water Association is the most extensive not-for-profit network dealing in all aspects of water, including inspiring and driving a sustainable future for our country’s precious resource – fresh, clean drinking H2O! Through local, national and international networks of individual and business members, AWA shares information and opportunities to inspire positive change by sharing expertise.

How can Redox help?

Redox has a proud tradition of supplying quality water treatment products to all areas of the industry, reaching back more than fifty years. We know that innovation, safety, efficiency and dependability are paramount in treating one of the world’s most precious resources.

Our wide range encompasses items for use in all aspects of water treatment, from pH adjusters for potable drinking water, speciality biocides for cooling towers, Ion Exchange for power stations, and great-value pool chemicals. For the safest and cleanest water, we supply:

• Flocculants
• pH adjusters
• Fluoridation additives
• Organophosphates and biocides
• Filter media
• Scale inhibitors
• Coagulants
• Ion Exchange Resins

Browse our full water capability statement below or click here to download a copy.

Redox has been a member of the AWA for many years and has specialists in water treatment and filtration who can assist when you aren’t sure what to do. Whether it be floods, droughts or desalination, Redox is here to support our customers’ needs. Contact one of our specialists today to find out more.

In 2021, Redox established a philanthropic relationship with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, to support their urgent work worldwide. Our support allows Médecins Sans Frontières teams to react to emergencies and give high-quality care to those who need it most. 

Who are Médecins Sans Frontières, and what do they do?

In 1971, in the aftermath of the Biafran famine of the Nigerian Civil War, a small group of French doctors and journalists sought to expand access to medical care across national boundaries irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation. 

To that end, the organisation emphasises “independence and impartiality” and explicitly precludes political, economic, or religious factors in its decision-making. For these reasons, it limits the funding received from governments or intergovernmental organisations. These principles have allowed MSF to speak freely concerning acts of war, corruption, or other hindrances to medical care or human well-being.

MSF exist to save lives by providing medical aid where it is needed most – in armed conflicts, epidemics, famines and natural disasters. These situations require a rapid response with specialised medical and logistical help. 

But, they also run longer-term projects, tackling health crises and supporting people with the greatest need. 

They currently have projects running in over 70 countries.

They are an independent, self-governed, non-profit organisation committed to addressing people’s suffering and providing medical care to help people survive catastrophic situations where communities and health structures may be overwhelmed. 

Médecins Sans Frontières offers assistance based on need and irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation, guided by medical ethics and the humanitarian principles of independence, neutrality and impartiality.

How can you help?

Your support is crucial to their efforts to provide medical aid where it is needed most. If you’re able, we’d love it if you could contribute to helping them fulfil their mission and to save lives by providing medical aid where it is needed most.

There are a multitude of ways to assist, or you could simply click here to donate now!

National Science Week is an annual celebration of science and technology in Australia. It happens every year in August and has more than 1000 events around the country, delivered by different types of organisations such as universities, schools, research institutions, libraries, museums and science centres.

The school theme for National Science Week in 2022 will be “Glass: More than meets the eye.” This is to celebrate the United Nations International Year of Glass, Celebrating the past, present and future of glass for a sustainable, equitable and better tomorrow.

In helping to celebrate National Science Week, we thought we could bring our expertise to this year’s school theme – Glass. Redox are very active in this market with a customer base of roughly 154 assorted customers specialising in producing glass products. 

Being a leading chemical and ingredients distributor, we supply our customers with various products to help them produce hundreds, if not thousands, of products made of glass.

What are some of the chemicals we supply?

Materials such as: 

• Dense Soda Ash, 
• Boric acid, 
• Borax and,
• Potassium Carbonate,
• Monobutyltin Trichloride,
• Sodium Sulphate.

Are all used in the manufacturing of glass products. But, how are these chemicals used in glass products?

Let’s look a little closer – Monobutyltin Trichloride.

Monobutyltin Trichloride or MBTC’s most critical application area is glass coating. MBTC is used to increase the scratch resistance of glass. A tin oxide coating is applied that closes microcracks and improves resistance to physical effects. It’s an essential raw material for this coating.

In the production of flat glass, for example, it’s combined with other ingredients in a uniform formulation that creates an even and thin layer.

Steve Jobs, the late Apple CEO and innovator known for his innovative genius in technology, sought out Corning’s help to make a screen that would be thin yet durable. Then they came up with Gorilla Glass, which dominates mobile device sales today because it can withstand drops up five feet without breaking or sustaining any damage!

It’s also used to coat containers (bottles, glasses, etc.), where Monobutyltin Trichloride is applied directly via gravity slides, which is depressed into the shape of the final bottle. The still hot bottles then pass through a coating stage where an MBTC vapour is sprayed on the hot surface, which is oxidised. This creates a layer of tin oxide, which forms the coating.

Another critical application the glass industry employs comes from Sodium Sulphate. It’s used as “fining agent” to help remove tiny air bubbles within molten glasses and prevent scum formation during refining. The chemical also fluxes the melts while it prevents melt segregation or caking on equipment by preventing negative interactions between components like acidity levels with base stocks such as silica sand.

Endlessly recyclable and natural

“We’ve been making glass for thousands of years, and we still don’t have a good idea of what it is,” says Mathieu Bauchy, a glass expert and materials researcher at UCLA. One thing we do know, unlike many other materials that become dangerous waste, glass can be recycled and refilled an infinite amount of times without losing clarity, purity or quality. 

Have a great National Science Week.

Redox is delighted and proud to be supporting the committed team at Chemical Educational Foundation (CEF), who are dedicated to chemistry education and awareness in the United States, for students in grades K-8.

When it comes to preparing the STEM workforce of the future – those industries relying on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – too often the focus is on students in high school and post-secondary education.

But the truth is, if students aren’t inspired by science when they are young – as early as five years old – it gets increasingly harder to engage them in learning and ultimately, enter careers in STEM industries.

Through their You Be the Chemist program, CEF provides educational resources in the form of activity guides and workshops for educators. Their academic competition is held annually at local, state and national levels where students in grades 5-8 compete for scholarships and other prizes.

The results of their You Be the Chemist program speak for themselves.

The impact on students when STEM is introduced early in their academic life.

Our contribution allows CEF to:

• Engage tens of thousands of K-8 students through hands-on science experiences,
• Provide thousands of teachers with professional development opportunities,
• Run CEF’s signature student competition — the You Be The Chemist Challenge®
• Support the community impact initiatives across the country.

“Student interest in science and chemistry is essential. It’s of fundamental importance that we reach the youngest students to inspire them towards careers that drive our businesses and the economy. Our great hope is to make a fundamental difference to these young people, building the workforce of tomorrow by Inspiring youth of today” Nick Osmo, Redox USA

You Be the Chemist continues helping businesses and education providers show young students the potential to build a better world through the science of chemistry.

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