THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS - (Aug. 12, 2016) - More than 150 children recently swapped their swimsuits and sunglasses for lab aprons and safety glasses to participate in the sixth annual Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP (Chevron Phillips Chemical) Camp Chemisphere event at the company's headquarters. Children of employees learned about science by conducting a series of experiments relating to the fields of chemistry, biology, meteorology and engineering.
"Camp Chemisphere is more than an opportunity for kids to see where their parents work," said Bryce Hallowell, manager of Public Affairs for Chevron Phillips Chemical. "This event allows children to plunge into the scientific foundations on which our company was built. Instead of telling them we make plastics,' we let them roll their hands through polymers while we explain the magic of chemistry."
Although 6-year-old Lucy Jones typically avoids anything sticky or messy, one of her favorite activities at Camp Chemisphere was making foam gnomes. During this experiment, children learned about exothermic and endothermic reactions as they mixed two reactive compounds and watched their "gnomes" grow.
Lucy's 8-year-old brother Oliver, who loves electronics and robotics, was thrilled to discover he could make music using bananas. "We used a series of bananas to create a circuit and play the piano," he explained. "When I get home, I'm going to ask my mom to buy a bunch of bananas!"
Nearly 70 employees volunteered at Camp Chemisphere, sharing their scientific and technological knowledge while helping the children conduct experiments. Several other Chevron Phillips Chemical locations also hold Camp Chemisphere events for employees' children each year, including the facilities in Sweeny, Port Arthur, Orange and Kingwood, as well as Performance Pipe's headquarters in Plano, Texas.
Camp Chemisphere is one of many initiatives Chevron Phillips Chemical hosts or sponsors to increase children's interest in petrochemical careers. This list includes the Sweeny ISD Petrochemical Academy, National Chemistry Week, Junior Achievement's Inspire events, Mind Trekkers, Education for Tomorrow Alliance, Baytown Wetlands Center's Summer Science Camp, and the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering Trailblazer.
Students can find information on careers at Chevron Phillips Chemical, including job descriptions, salary ranges and education requirements at http://www.cpchem.com/brightfuture.