Month: July 2024

Each year, through Baker Tilly Wishes, the Baker Tilly Foundation provides 15 grants of $10,000 to not-for-profits nominated by our team members. Learn about the Kansas City Autism Training Center and how it has profoundly impacted team member Rainer Nsenki and his family.

A positive space for growth

When Rainer and Hannah welcomed their son, Noir, they noticed developmental differences atypical for his age. After a doctor’s visit, Noir was diagnosed with autism. Determined to find the best education and support for their son, Rainer and his wife began exploring their options.

Their search led them to the Kansas City Autism Training Center. “The center felt welcoming from the start,” Rainer explained. “We knew this could be a place where Noir could learn, make friends and feel understood.”

Empowering individuals on the autism spectrum

The Kansas City Autism Training Center helps children from ages 2 and older on the autism spectrum maximize their potential through evidence-based education, treatment and training.

Rainer supports their fundraising efforts, while Hannah volunteers with teachers to assist with learning activities for Noir and other students. After witnessing how beneficial a supportive and welcoming environment can be, Rainer now passionately advocates for the organization.

“The center has become an invaluable resource for us,” he said. “Their guidance has been essential in helping us navigate Noir’s diagnosis.”

Seeing progress

Thanks to the individualized training he receives, Noir, now four years old, has shown remarkable improvement.

“Noir used to be non-verbal,” Rainer shared. “But in the past six months, he’s started speaking more, recognizing objects, and has a much more positive outlook. Our family has experienced so much optimism since finding this organization.”

The center’s dedication to supporting individuals with autism and their families inspires Rainer and Hannah to give back any way they can.

Baker Tilly Wishes helps create new sensory spaces

The grant from the Baker Tilly Foundation will help the training center expand and renovate existing spaces. This includes building additional classrooms, upgrading playground spaces with inclusive sensory features, and constructing new sidewalks and entranceways.

“This investment will create a more supportive and empowering environment,” Rainer said. “The center makes a lasting difference in the lives of those it serves, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Learn more about Baker Tilly.

At Chemours, we believe that by exposing future generations to the wonders of chemistry, we can change even more lives for the better. To achieve this mission, we continue to invest and engage in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education programs to support future innovators.

Just recently, a group of Chemistry, Biology and Physics students from Middletown, William Penn and St. Elizabeth’s High Schools in Delaware recently visited the Chemours Discovery Hub (CDH)—our state-of-the-art, sustainably designed research and development facility located on the University of Delaware’s Science, Technology, and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus.

The visit was a part of the University of Delaware’s Foundations for Outreach & Recruitment of Great Engineers and Scientists (FORGES) program, which introduces rising high school juniors and seniors to a variety of summer research activities that are happening at the University of Delaware and with local industry partners, including Chemours.

While at CDH the students had the opportunity to tour the process development area, immersion cooling, Opteon™ foam blowing, and hydrogen fuel cell testing labs. After the tours, students had lunch with Chemours employees and apprentices where they discussed education, job experiences and career paths. The day of STEM programming culminated in an interactive hands-on demonstration that allowed students to analyze and identify “mystery” polymers, utilizing several CDH analytical labs and techniques.

“Our goal is to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers by showcasing the innovation that is happening here at Chemours,” said Liz Diaz, Sr. Staff Chemist and CDH Community Engagement Team lead. “We love that we can open the doors to CDH and give local students the opportunity to see the many different and exciting STEM career paths available to them in their own community.”

Chemours and the team at CDH is proud to be involved with the FORGES program, which strives to significantly broaden the participation of women and underrepresented groups in materials science through recruitment efforts and outreach opportunities.