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Intro to Green Chemistry
Rethinking the Building Blocks of Our World
Live Online Course with Dr. Amy Cannon & Dr. John Warner
REGISTER NOWWhat if the chemistry behind everyday products could help solve, not create, environmental problems?
From the clothes we wear to the packaging we toss, chemistry is everywhere. Green chemistry reimagines how those materials are made, asking: What if we could design products to be safer and more sustainable from the start? This course is your introduction to the field that's transforming how we think about the building blocks of our world—and who's responsible for changing them.
Dates
TK
Meeting Times
TK
Duration
4Â Weeks
90 minutes/week
Format
Live Online with Recordings Available
Cost
$349
Green chemistry refers to the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate hazardous substances at the source. It’s an interdisciplinary, solutions-oriented approach that invites us to rethink how we create everything from fabrics to pharmaceuticals—and offers a powerful path toward a more sustainable future.
In this four-week live course, Beyond Benign co-founders Dr. Amy Cannon and Dr. John Warner—leaders who helped shape the field—will guide you through a practical, eye-opening introduction to green chemistry. You’ll explore how chemistry connects to real-world sustainability challenges, and how designing safer, smarter chemicals is not only possible—it’s already happening.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Through real-world case studies, accessible science, and lively discussions, you’ll come away with a new lens on the materials that shape our world—and what it means to design them responsibly.
You’ll gain:
- A foundational understanding of green and sustainable chemistry
- Insight into how chemicals affect human and environmental health
- Tools to recognize the hidden role of chemistry in everyday life
- Inspiration from existing green chemistry solutions—and what makes them successful
- Ideas for how you might apply this knowledge in your own work, teaching, or decision-making
Who is this course for?
No formal science background required—just curiosity.
This course is especially useful for:
- Educators in K–12 and higher education looking to integrate sustainability into their teaching
- Environmental and public health advocates interested in upstream solutions
- Designers, makers, and innovators focused on materials or products
- Anyone eager to understand the intersection of chemistry and sustainability
Whether you're new to chemistry or just looking for a more hopeful, solutions-based take on it, you'll find this course both approachable and enriching.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS
Dr. Amy Cannon holds the world’s first Ph.D. in Green Chemistry and is the co-founder and Executive Director of Beyond Benign, a nonprofit transforming chemistry education to support sustainability. After earning her undergraduate degree in chemistry from Saint Anselm College, Amy was introduced to green chemistry by Dr. John Warner at UMass Boston, where they co-created a Ph.D. concentration to address the lack of sustainability training in traditional chemistry programs. With experience in both industry and academia, Amy has spent her career advancing green chemistry education across K–12 and higher ed. Her work has earned multiple awards, including the EPA New England Environmental Merit Award and the Kenneth G. Hancock Memorial Award, and she is widely published on green chemistry pedagogy and systems thinking in science education.
Dr. John Warner is one of the founders of the field of green chemistry and co-author of its foundational text Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice, which introduced the 12 principles of green chemistry in 1998. A prolific inventor with over 350 patents, John has worked with companies around the world and received the prestigious Perkin Medal for his contributions to industrial chemistry. He has held tenured professorships in both chemistry and plastics engineering, co-founded the first Ph.D. program in green chemistry, and received the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mentoring. As an entrepreneur and global educator, his innovations span photovoltaics to cosmetics, and he currently holds academic appointments across six countries. John now serves as President and CEO of The Technology Greenhouse and continues to advance green chemistry as a science of solutions.
Intro to Green Chemistry
Rethinking the Building Blocks of Our World
