Reimagining Chemistry Education for a Sustainable Future

Abstract

Chemistry education plays a critical role in preparing future scientists to address global sustainability challenges, yet traditional, instructor-focused pedagogies often obscure chemistry’s societal impacts and limit students’ sense of belonging and agency within chemistry. In this paper, we describe the implementation of Reimagining Chemistry, a course developed through student-directed independent study, which contextualizes chemistry within social, environmental, and ethical frameworks aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Grounded in Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP) and the framework of Rightful Presence, Reimagining Chemistry emphasizes student voice, collaborative knowledge-building, and community-engaged projects that empower students as changemakers. Using surveys, observations, student reflections, and project outcomes from two course offerings, we examined student motivations, learning experiences, and the evolution of the course across its iterations. Students demonstrated significant engagement, broadened their perspectives on chemistry’s role in society, and produced projects addressing educational equity, environmental justice, and local community engagement. Achieving a sustainable future requires chemistry education that not only develops technical competence, but also guides and empowers all students to critically engage. This curriculum provides a model for chemistry educators seeking to foster inclusive learning environments that connect chemical education to global and community impact.