DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00287

Summary
This article deals with the integration of green and sustainable education into the culture of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto.
Green chemistry principles are incorporated within a variety of interconnected components including seven undergraduate courses (both in the classroom and teaching laboratory), a graduate student-led organization, and department-wide initiatives. Students are exposed at all academic levels to sustainable practices throughout their education which can be applied in their future careers.
This is the result of an organized effort that started two decades ago. It has been achieved through (i) development of expository, discovery-based, and student-directed laboratory experiments; (ii) evolution of several upper-year courses; and (iii) strategic integration of these components into two academic programs.
The University of Toronto became the first Canadian institution to be recognized in 2016 through the Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC), a nonprofit organization with the mission to empower educators, students, and the community to practice sustainability through green chemistry.
Upon signing to GCC, departments commit to implementing four learning objectives in their own timeline and in their own way: Theory, Toxicology, Laboratory Skills and Application.
This report outlines the initiatives that have supported this culture of green chemistry practice. The contributions include (i) specific examples at different levels of undergraduate teaching in general, organic, and environmental courses; (ii) undergraduate program design; and (iii) graduate level activities. Emphasis is placed on how these initiatives highlight systems thinking and align with the learning objectives of the GCC, how they connect with a departmental systems thinking approach to green and sustainable chemistry education, and some plans for future developments in these areas.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
This paper describes the approaches and methodologies used to reimagine higher education at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto. It deals with “systems thinking” and “sustainable development”.
It describes how a systems thinking approach to green chemistry has been built into various systemic levels at the University of Toronto over the last 20 years: from undergraduate courses and programs to a graduate level inspired, self-sustaining organization.
For example at second –year Underground Course, CHM 249H (Organic Chemistry) features an exploration into the mechanisms and synthetic applications of a wide variety of organic reactions, with a particular emphasis on gaining practical skills in a research-inspired laboratory setting. Although the 11 experiments performed in CHM 249H highlight a diverse collection of transformations and techniques, systems thinking through a green chemistry and sustainability lens is a common thread throughout the course.
The themes discussed in the laboratory highlight how critical thinking, decision-making, and working collaboratively with other scientists are essential in tackling research problems. Students are also engaged in reflective analysis by thinking about the role, benefits, and impacts that chemicals have on large systems, including the environment, industry, and human health.

Point of Strength
The point of strength of this article is that it describes how a systems thinking approach to green chemistry has been built into various systemic levels at the University of Toronto over the last 20 years: from undergraduate courses and programs to a graduate level inspired, self-sustaining organization.