Introduction to Green Chemistry for High School Teachers

If you’re looking to integrate green chemistry principles and practices into your teaching through real-world sustainable inventions, this is the course for you!

• Who: High School Chemistry and High School/Middle School Physical Science Teachers
• What: An 8-week online learning course
• When: June 8-August 3, 2026
• Where: Online (Synchronous sessions/Asynchronous Modules)
• Cost: $475 to enroll* + additional fees if you are submitting for graduate relicensure credit

*Free for NY teachers, some other states, and Environmental Justice Communities, with discount code (contact info@beyondbenign to find out if your state has a discount available and if you teach in NYS and haven't received your code)

About this course:

In this course, Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teacher Cassidy Javner will help prepare you to integrate green chemistry principles and practices into your teaching through real-world sustainable inventions. You’ll also learn how to develop safer labs and lessons aligned to NGSS/NYSSLS and your local standards in an interactive online environment.

This course features forum discussions, lesson plan development, and 3 synchronous zoom classes. Discussions will focus on how to create and implement sustainable labs that engage students in the world around them, replacing hazardous chemicals with safe, effective and interesting alternatives.

🌱 This course is right for you if:

• You want to earn up to 48 CTLE credits (NYS) or 3 grad level relicensure credits (Adams State University)
• You want to create a safer, more engaging learning environment
• You’re interested in how problem solving with chemistry helps create solutions for sustainability challenges

🌱 By enrolling you’ll learn:

• How to explore and explain the 12 principles of green chemistry in your classroom.
• How to give examples of how green chemistry is being used in industry to make the world more sustainable.
• How to design lessons to incorporate green chemistry phenomena that are aligned to NGSS/NYSSLS
• How to explore and participate in the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC), a community of educators and researchers sharing learning around sustainable science.
• How to identify lab activities that are of concern to the health and safety of humans and the environment, and then develop safer alternatives.
• How to develop a course plan that weaves green chemistry lesson plans and lab activities through their existing curriculum

🌱 Course topics include:

• Understanding how green chemistry is critical to future sustainability globally
• Developing safer labs and lessons: Understanding hazards and risk through preparation
• Preparing for effective student driven learning: developing curiosity, agency and science literacy through problem-solving
• Integrating green chemistry into your teaching: Learning the 12 Green Chemistry Principles, how to discuss them, and where to apply them
• Joining a global Green Chemistry Community of Practice: Discovering OER created by peers for peers and what educators are sharing about sustainable science and research
• Exploring industry connections to green chemistry and weaving into labs/lessons
• Replacement Labs and Implementation Plans

Registration deadline is Friday, June 5, 2026.

See Syllabus Here (2026 General Syllabus)

3 virtual classes will provide the opportunity for participants to interact with the instructor and fellow classmates:

Synchronous Zoom Dates:

• Tue, June 16, 7:00 - 8:00 pm ET
• Tue, July 7, 12:00 - 1:00 pm ET
• Thu, July 23, 12:00 -1:00 pm ET

8 weeks/48 hrs instructional time

***3 grad-level relicensure credits available at an additional cost from Adams State University

***48 NYS CTLE credits available at no additional cost for NYS educators. Beyond Benign is an approved NYS CTLE sponsor as of March 2026