Thanks in part to Sasol’s contribution, new $20 million STEM-based educational facility opens its doors to Southwest Louisiana families and visitors 

Sasol Chemicals’ steadfast commitment to the City of Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana reached a new milestone recently with the opening of Port Wonder – the $20 million lakefront development project designed to engage and enrich area children and their families.

Port Wonder – the new home of Children’s Museum of Southwest Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Nature & Science Center – is the result of a multi-year collaboration between local businesses and government to rejuvenate the lakefront area and support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. 

Sasol Chemicals was one of the first major donors to the effort, contributing $1 million. It remains Sasol’s largest single community investment in the U.S. 

Port Wonder offers a hands-on interactive center coupled with an immersive, live-animal, Louisiana coast experience for visitors, housed in two wings of a 32 000-square-foot facility. The Children’s Museum features four individual galleries focused on nature, health, tech and city. The Nature & Science Center offers exhibits focusing on Louisiana’s coastline and its waters, marshes, fisheries, and barrier islands. 

The site also features outdoor play areas, a covered fishing pier, and walking trails that connect to the existing alligator habitat. 

Sasol’s exhibit is located in the technology section of the museum and includes a bubble area where visitors can learn about surfactants; an area where visitors can “work” as an operator, moving chemicals and finished products from one part of the facility to another using control valves; and a safety dress up area where visitors can try on lab coats, Nomex and other PPE. 

Sasol’s contribution to the project reinforced two key company values – supporting the community’s economic growth/quality of life and bolstering STEM education to build a strong local workforce. Over the last several years, Sasol has contributed more than $9 million to community projects focused on local STEM education and small business development. 

“Port Wonder was important to the community, and so it was important to Sasol Chemicals because this is our home,” said Todd Hancock, Vice President, Operations. “Now, we have a dynamic attraction that enhances Lake Charles and the surrounding area while also supporting STEM education. Our goal is that future Sasol employees will look back and remember how Port Wonder helped inspire their interest in STEM careers.” 

Community leaders, partners, and residents gathered to officially open the facility during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on 20 March 2025. The celebration marked the culmination of years of hard work and collaboration, with initial planning beginning in 2018 and groundbreaking taking place in 2021. 

“Sasol Chemicals is thrilled to have played a small part in making Port Wonder a reality, and I know our employees will enjoy visiting with pride knowing that we helped bring this wonderful investment to life,” Hancock said.

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The Sasol for Good global employee volunteerism program encourages employees to get involved in their communities by volunteering their time, skills and resources through company and employee or team-initiated initiatives that respond to social challenges within our operational geographies and fence line communities.

Some of the volunteering programs include planting trees, back-to-school drives, holiday toy drives and being a mentor through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

April is National Volunteer Month in the US and our Sasol US Team took time to recognize the many ways our employees give back to our communities and we chatted to a few of our volunteers, here’s what our volunteers had to say:

Laura Retzlaff
User Experience Manager
I volunteer because I strive to make a difference and help others when they are in need. I believe interacting with my Little Sister from our Big Brothers and Big Sisters program has honestly improved my overall mood and stress levels. I feel joy when I see her excitement when I visit, and I feel honored when I can help her make a difficult decision in her academic activities.

Matt Barron
Manager, Operation Portfolio
I volunteer in hopes of making a meaningful difference in the lives of others and for the betterment of the community.

Mabel R Almodovar
Manager, PMO & Agile Methods
I volunteer because I like to give back to the community and make a positive difference. Helping others provides me with a sense of purpose and makes me feel grateful. I enjoy connecting with people from diverse backgrounds and learning other perspectives. It makes me happy to know that I’m contributing to a better future by volunteering.

Crystal Briscoe
Specialist, Performance Management & People Programs
My mother allowed me to volunteer beside her in the community and now, it’s engrained within me. I volunteer because it makes me happy to give back and I am sharing these experiences with my children too.

Deborah Daniel
Senior Specialist, Service Intergration ITSC and DR
I volunteer for Big Brothers and Big Sisters to simply give back. It means a great deal to me to meet and speak with my Little Sister to discuss things that are important to her and provide attention and inspire to reach for her dreams.

Click here to read more about Team Sasol in the US.

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The efforts to rebuild the Sam Houston Jones State Park in Lake Charles could be seen in scale at the park on the chilly morning of 19 February 2022 when volunteers gathered to plant more than 5 000 trees. After Hurricane Laura in 2020 severely damaged the park grounds, the community began steps to bring back the cabins, pavilions, as well as the water and sewer systems. And essential to the park’s rebirth are the trees.

“The Nature Conservancy is excited to work with the Office of State Parks to re-establish longleaf and other species and to restore savanna for the enjoyment and education of the public,” said TNC Stewardship Manager William DeGravelles in an interview with local news station KALB-TV. 

More than 80 percent of the park’s trees were irreparably damaged, according to Louisiana State Parks, which heavily impacts not only the park but the ecosystem it supports. 

Sasol partnered with Louisiana State Parks and the Nature Conservancy to donate funding, materials and resources to enable the event. Donations from Sasol included $10 000 to purchase magnolia trees that will line the entrance to the park. The official reopening of the park is expected in late May. 

“Sasol is proud to be a part of the replanting efforts for Sam Houston Jones State Park,” said Sasol Vice President of Operations Eric Walker. “The benefits of having more trees in our community go beyond beauty. Trees act as water and air filters, can slow down floodwaters, and provide shade for wildlife. The work of our volunteers, The Nature Conservancy and Louisiana State Parks will restore, preserve, and enhance local ecosystems, which is something we can all be proud of.”

More than a dozen Sasol employees and their families were among the volunteers who participated in the tree planting event. Sasol is proud to continue to support Sam Houston Jones State Park as part of our commitment to environmental stewardship.

Click here to read other articles on how Team Sasol is supporting fence-line communities in this area.

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Pam Briscoe had hosted foreign exchange students before, a tradition she carried on from her grandmother. But this time, she had a specific request for the agency that coordinates host families. 

As an employee of Sasol Chemicals, Briscoe asked to host a student from South Africa. She could gain some insight into South African culture, while offering a young South African the opportunity to learn about life in the United States.  

That decision was life changing for Alwyn Rae from Johannesburg, who turned his 10-month experience in Houston into a college scholarship from Sasol and now, a new job with the company in South Africa. 

But it was also life-changing for Briscoe. “We are family now,” she said. 

It was 2014 when Alwyn Rae and Johannes Kjaer Bach from Denmark came to live with Briscoe, a Facilities Services Coordinator in Houston. The two students, both 15-year-old sophomores, attended Cy Woods High School in northwest Houston and became fast friends.  

“Alwyn and Johannes came from two very different cultures and lifestyles,” said Briscoe. “But they quickly became brothers.” 

Adjusting to a new life 

Alwyn, who grew up in one of Johannesburg’s toughest neighborhoods, wasn’t sure what to expect from his visit. Like many young people living outside the US, his knowledge of American culture came mostly from Hollywood movies.  

“There were a lot of things that I wanted to experience,” he said. “I wanted to try Starbucks and all the different fast-food places. And I was hoping to meet some real-life cowboys.” 

One of Alwyn’s first questions was, “Where are all the Sasol petrol stations?” 

“Alwyn was used to seeing Sasol gas stations everywhere,” Briscoe said. “And he knew I worked for Sasol, so he didn’t understand why there weren’t any stations in Houston.” 

An introvert by nature, Alwyn was determined to be more outgoing at school. He joined the wrestling team and even went to a high school dance. He and Johannes enjoyed hanging out together and Briscoe’s coworkers and neighbors provided plenty of opportunities to meet new people and experience American life.  

“Alwyn was very brave,” said Briscoe. “He wasn’t afraid to try anything.” 

One of the highlights of Alwyn’s visit was a trip to the Grand Canyon with a friend’s family. 

“My stay really forced me to get out of my shell and learn to be more extroverted,” Rae said. “That’s something that will definitely help me throughout my life.” 

Lessons to remember 

Alwyn believes his time in the US helped him recognize that adaptability is important – a strength that will serve him well in his career.  

“I learned to adjust to new surroundings and to not be overwhelmed by change,” said Rae. “It also taught me to appreciate different cultures. I realized I shouldn’t say that someone is wrong because what they do contrasts with what I am familiar with. It’s not wrong; it’s just different.” 

And of course, he recognizes the role that Sasol has played in his life – from a lifelong relationship with Briscoe, her family and Kjaer Bach to his scholarship and now employment. 

“Sasol changed the whole trajectory of Alwyn’s life,” said Briscoe. “I am so proud to say I work for a company that can make such a magical story become a reality.” 

Click here for more initiatives by Team Sasol in the US.

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Sasol joined Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, the City of Lake Charles, the Children’s Museum of SWLA and other local leaders in a groundbreaking celebration for Port Wonder, which will house a STEM-based Children’s Museum and a Science and Nature Center.

Sasol’s $1 million contribution to Port Wonder is the company’s largest single community investment in the United States. “Sasol is proud to be a partner in this public-private collaboration – one that will be an exciting addition to Southwest Louisiana – a place our employees call home, a place Sasol calls home and hopes to do so for a long time,” Brad Griffith, Executive Vice President of Sasol’s global chemicals business, said.

Sasol has focused recent community investment on STEM education initiatives with the goal of strengthening a local, diverse workforce development pipeline in the region – a critical asset for the company’s sustainability in Southwest Louisiana. “It is this model of collaboration both with Port Wonder and through the challenges of the last year that we have grown to value and appreciate from this community. In fact, it’s a quality we attribute a great deal of our business success to here in Lake Charles,” Griffith said.

Sasol completed the commissioning of its new Lake Charles facility, which is now fully operational, in 2020. Sasol hired 860 new employees, spent more than $4 billion with Louisiana businesses, supported 6,500 construction jobs and contributed over $200 million in taxes, infrastructure improvements and other benefits to the Southwest Louisiana community and the state of Louisiana. Over the last several years, Sasol has contributed more than $7 million to community projects focused on local STEM education and small business development.

Read more about our investment in the people of Southwest Louisiana.

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These are just some of the ways Sasol and our partners are working to help the people of Southwest Louisiana, share in the opportunities presented by announced capital investment of more than $100 billion in the five-parish area:

• With the Southwest Louisiana Chamber-Economic Development Alliance, Calcasieu Parish Library System and Calcasieu Business and Career Solutions Center, Sasol sponsored the Southwest Louisiana Workforce Resource Guide, a practical printed and online resource which helps individuals to choose careers and prepare for job interviews. Since its inception, more than 15000 guides have been downloaded.
• Sasol established the Southwest Louisiana Workforce Scholarship Fund providing financial support to cover tuition, training, mentoring and technical support to more than 100 local adults. The programme targets the unemployed and undereducated in a five-parish area, with preference given to Westlake and Mossville residents—Sasol’s nearest neighbours. Since its inception, 118 scholarships have been awarded, and 74% of recipients have found employment.
• Collaborating with partners which include Junior Achievement and Big Brothers Big Sisters, Sasol supports four Partner in Education schools, three of them in Southwest Louisiana and one in Houston, Texas. In 2018 Sasol employees will have spent almost 1000 hours mentoring and imparting life skills to students, the majority of which belong to low-income families.
• Sasol enhances school-based science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curriculum, as well as educator professional development programme.
• Sasol provided the Southwest Louisiana Construction Users Council with $635,000 in pre-funding to pre-train the local construction craft workforce, in anticipation of expected high growth in the region.
• Sasol sponsored one of the newest exhibits at the Lake Charles Children’s Museum, fittingly named Chem Corner. The exhibit offers visitors a glimpse into daily life at an industrial chemical facility and aims to help children learn about local industry while stimulating their interest in STEM subjects. Since its opening in July 2017 the museum reported an increase of nearly 10,000 visitors.
• Sasol is proud of our engagement with our neighbours in Mossville, Louisiana, a community west of our Lake Charles Chemical Complex. From the early stages of our ethane cracker and derivatives project, we’ve continually reached out to Mossville residents to keep them informed of our plans and solicit their input on what we can do to make a positive difference in their community. The result is an extensive, ongoing partnership between Sasol and Mossville to address their desires, give them the choices they asked for, and provide sustainable, long-term support to increase economic opportunities.

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