This year, CSBP continued its support of the Kwinana Industries Council’s iScience school program. The iScience program is aimed at Year 10 students from the Kwinana and nearby Rockingham areas who are interested in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and pursuing a tertiary university education.

Through a series of workshops, the iScience program puts an exciting twist on STEM topics by showcasing how they can be applied in different industries and enable students to see the path to a meaningful career.

This year, Technical Superintendent, Jason Thompson, a chemical engineer who was keen to share his passion and encourage the next generation of engineers, hosted the program’s 34 participants on a tour of CSBP’s Kwinana, Western Australia, operations. Students were able to see first-hand how STEM is applied to the manufacture of chemicals and fertilisers used in mining, agricultural and industrial sectors throughout the world.

Students also learnt how beverage waste, such as soft drink and juice, is added to CSBP’s wetland ecosystem, with the sugar content providing a source of carbon. This carbon fuels the wetland’s microbes to break down nitrates into nitrogen gas and removing it from the wastewater before being discharged from site.

As a strong supporter of the communities in which it operates, WesCEF is committed to funding grass-roots projects that encourage participation in STEM education and career development and will continue to support projects such as iScience in future years.