SABIC and JA Worldwide Partner to Inspire Students to Tackle Sustainability Challenges
April 25, 2022
More than 15,000 young people in 14 countries will gain critical-thinking and problem-solving skills for sustainable living through the Lights of Our Future initiative.
SABIC, a global leader in diversified chemicals based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (KSA), is partnering with JA Worldwide to engage students in learning opportunities that inspire them to become community leaders and global citizens.
Through SABIC’s Lights of Our Future initiative, 14 JA locations will work with more than 700 SABIC volunteers to deliver in-person and virtual programs focused on science and technology, environmental protection, health and wellness, and water and sustainable agriculture.
Faisal Al-Bahair, SABIC Vice President, Corporate Affairs, said, “We are indeed pleased with our fruitful engagement with JA Worldwide over the years. Our support for educational initiatives is rooted in our strong dedication to build caring community relationships globally. We focus our CSR efforts specifically on creating social, environmental, and economic value, besides contributing to the successful achievement of Saudi Vision 2030.”
Students will participate in locally driven programs and JA Worldwide’s global learning experiences, including . . .
JA Company Program, which teaches young people about entrepreneurship and helps them start a new business.
Innovation Camps and Innovation Challenges, which are intensive, idea-generating workshops for students to collaborate and address a specific business challenge related to sustainable development and the circular economy.
JA Job Spark and Job Shadow programs, which offer students opportunities to visit a professional work environment, engage employees, and gain insights into how to find and develop a fulfilling career.
Educators and volunteers teach, coach, and mentor students to become workforce ready, interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), and motivated to improve their communities. Students develop the skillset and mindset to be ambassadors of a sustainable future.
“Through Lights of Our Future, I experienced a kind of education not found in textbooks,” said a student in China of her Lights of Our Future learning experience. “Today's Innovation Challenge competition has given me a deeper understanding of sustainable development, as well as the importance of energy conservation.”
SABIC’s newest grant builds on a partnership with JA that first formed in Singapore and grew to reach students in schools and communities around the world in 2018. This year, 14 JA locations are taking part in the Lights of Our Future initiative.
Participating JA Locations
About SABIC
SABIC is a global diversified chemicals company, headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It manufactures on a global scale in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, making distinctly different kinds of products: chemicals, commodity and high-performance plastics, agri-nutrients, and metals.
SABIC supports its customers by identifying and developing opportunities in key end-use applications, such as construction, medical devices, packaging, agri-nutrients, electrical and electronics, transportation, and clean energy.
The company employs more than 31,000 people worldwide and operates in around 50 countries. Fostering innovation and a spirit of ingenuity, SABIC has 10,090 patents and pending applications and has significant research resources with innovation hubs in five key geographies: USA, Europe, Middle East, South Asia, and North Asia.