EnViridis from Washington Wins 20th Anniversary National You Be The Chemist Challenge^®

ARLINGTON, VA – CEF is excited to announce that the EnViridis team from Washington have won the $20,000 scholarship, emerging victorious from among 17,000 students from across North America, with teams SERE Concrete Solutions from Jefferson Middle School in Michigan and Science Scholars Sandbox from Illinois coming in 2^nd and 3^rd place, winning $16,000 and $12,000 respectively.

CEF’s Chief Executive Officer, Dwayne Sattler, expressed his admiration, stating, “Witnessing the passion and dedication of these young students is truly inspiring. I am confident they will continue to make a positive impact on our world, and CEF is honored to be part of their journey. We are grateful to Presenting Sponsor Univar Solutions, as well as the parents, teachers, volunteers, and other sponsors who contributed to the success of the Challenge.”

The travel sponsor of the winning team, Catalynt Solutions, Inc., extends its congratulations to all participating students for their outstanding efforts, and CEF thanks our keynote speaker, Kate the Chemist (Dr. Kate Biberdorf), for her thrilling presentation!

The National Challenge saw fifth- through eighth- graders from California, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, and Washington demonstrating their STEM expertise. They also showcased their abilities in teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication during interviews with a distinguished panel of industry representatives. Participants first competed regionally and then created 5-7-minute videos in which they developed start-up companies addressing sustainable community solutions.

CEF would also like to extend its heartfelt thanks to Presenting Sponsor Univar Solutions, Trailblazers Sponsor Olin, and Innovators Sponsors AFPM, Azelis Americas, Brenntag North America, Corteva Agriscience, EMCO, Halliburton Charitable Foundation, Hawkins Inc., ICL Group, LyondellBasell, and Shell USA, along with our other sponsors, for their invaluable support in making the Challenge a tremendous success.

Since its inception 20 years ago, the Challenge has inspired over 500,000 students and awarded $250,000 in scholarships. This year alone saw a remarkable 17,000 participants, with over 52% being female and 54% from economically disadvantaged areas. The Challenge continues to break barriers and create opportunities for young people across North America. An impressive 85% of participants have discovered new STEM career paths, and 92% have developed a newfound interest in STEM subjects, demonstrating the profound impact of the Challenge on their academic and professional aspirations.