STEM Education | LiTHIUMLEARNS

EDUCATION STEM

Building a talent pipeline for the nascent lithium industry and to support the existing bromine industry in Southwest Arkansas begins with a strong academic foundation. LiTHIUMLEARNS and its partners are investing in STEM education across regional K-12 School Districts by hosting professional development workshops for educators, facilitating STEM nights, and by providing free scalable experiments and lesson plans focused on the chemical industry on our website.

STEM EXPERIMENTS

ELEMENTS FROM THE EARTH

Exploring Brine Chemistry in the Smackover Formation

ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS

Solutions to Unique Opportunities

POWER CRYSTALS

The Science Behind Lithium Extraction

POWER UP

Exploring Electrochemistry with Lithium

UNLOCKING LITHIUM

A Chemical Process Journey

MOBILE STEM LAB

The LiTHIUMLEARNS Mobile STEM Lab brings hands-on STEM education to K–12 students across South Arkansas. The program introduces students to the science of the Smackover Formation, the importance of critical minerals, and the diverse career pathways emerging within the rapidly expanding lithium and battery industry. Education and industry partners travel with the Mobile STEM Lab to interact with students across the region.

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CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEGREE

A stand-alone chemical engineering degree will soon be offered at SAU. SAU's general engineering degree and the stand-alone mechanical engineering degree are both ABET accredited, industry-driven, and provide homegrown talent for regional industries.

More than 80% of the engineering graduates remain in Southwest Arkansas and work within a 75-mile radius of Magnolia. The addition of the stand-alone chemical engineering degree is another industry-driven decision to expand STEM education, workforce development, and generate a qualified talent pipeline of engineers.

Coming Soon

EDUCATION CAREER & TECHNICAL

LiTHIUMLEARNS is building a consortium of education and workforce partners to develop and deliver industry-driven career and technical education (CTE) programs that will provide a skilled labor force not only for the lithium industry but also for the existing chemical industry in Southwest Arkansas.

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CONTACT LiTHIUMLEARNS

Sheryl A. Edwards

Southern Arkansas University

Associate VP for Strategic Initiatives

Director, Government Relations & LiTHIUMLEARNS

Phone: 870-235-5090

Email: saedwards@saumag.edu

NEWS & VIEWS

Southern Arkansas University Students and Faculty Visit ExxonMobil Houston Campus in Spring, TX and Baytown Facilities

Southern Arkansas University students and faculty recently participated in an immersive, multi-day industry engagement experience through the LiTHIUMLEARNS program.Sponsored and hosted by ExxonMobil, the group toured the EMHC and Baytown refinery facilities. During the EMHC visit, participants learned about ExxonMobil’s history, toured research facilities, and saw first-hand the emphasis the corporation puts on valuing its people and its commitment to sustainable business pra

Smackover Lithium Contributes $25,000 to Southern Arkansas University LiTHIUMLEARNS Mobile STEM Laboratory Initiative

Lewisville, AR – As part of our commitment to education in our community, Smackover Lithium is proud to announce a $25,000 contribution to the Southern Arkansas University (SAU) LiTHIUMLEARNS Mobile Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Laboratory Initiative. This program will provide interactive and hands-on learning opportunities for K-12 students throughout South Arkansas and will directly support the school districts nearby our South West Arkansas pro

SAU Engineering hosts concurrent course with Caddo Hills High School

The Engineering Department at Southern Arkansas University has launched a new concurrent course with Caddo Hills High School, marking the first program of its kind in the region. The class, Fundamentals of Manufacturing, allows high school students to earn college credit while developing practical skills for careers in the manufacturing industry.