Coast Southwest, Inc. is a leader of California’s participation in the Chemical Education Foundation’s You Be The Chemist! (YBTC) program. YBTC brings together students, their teachers and the chemical industry to improve science education and to raise the awareness of the science of chemistry.

“You Be The Chemist! engages kindergarten through eighth grade students by helping them see how chemistry relates to their everyday lives,” says Jillian W. Cimo, Coast Southwest vice president and California YBTC co-organizer.
“This program makes chemistry fun for kids and gives companies in the chemical industry a grassroots opportunity to encourage more of our bright young people to pursue chemistry as a course of study and maybe even a career.”

An important feature of You Be The Chemist! is the YBTC Challenge, an academic competition for fifth through eighth grade students which focuses on important chemistry concepts, discoveries and chemical safety. Coast Southwest is a Diamond Level sponsor of the 2011 California State YBTC Challenge which will be held at the Discovery Science Center (DSC) in Santa Ana on May 10.

The YBTC Challenge, which follows a question and answer format similar to a spelling bee, is organized on local, state and national levels. State champions from across the country will compete for the national title in the 2011 National
YBTC Challenge in Philadelphia on June 20.

“Young people today show an amazing aptitude for technology, yet fewer and fewer of them are seeking math and science degrees,” says Kevin D. Sathre, Coast Southwest vice president of sales. “Programs like You Be The Chemist!
that get young people fired up about science can help turn this trend around. Coast Southwest is eager to lend our support.”

The Chemical Education Foundation (CEF), which founded YBTC in 2003, provides a framework which includes comprehensive education materials, marketing tools and a national web site that makes it easy for sponsoring
companies and participating schools to get started.