American Chemical Society
Growing Your
Local Section’s Outreach
to Area High Schools
May 22, 2013
What is the ACS High School
ChemClub Program?
• ACS supports educators and students as they
experience chemistry outside the classroom
• Founded Fall 2005 with 15 clubs – now 559 ChemClubs
in 47 states, DC, Puerto Rico and abroad (Brazil,
Canada, and Nigeria)
American Chemical Society
Where are ChemClubs?
American Chemical Society
Visit http://www.acs.org/chemclub,
then click “Directory” link at top.
American
Chemical Society
ACS ChemClub Structure
• Free to teachers — ACS membership not required!
• Free resources and Club-sponsored events
• No requirements on how you run your club
• Advisory Board helps to guide ACS ChemClub staff
American Chemical Society
What do ChemClubs do?
ACS-sponsored events
 Chemists Celebrate Earth Day (April 22)
 National Chemistry Week (October 20–26)
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Poll
During the last school year, my local section
held an event for:
A. National Chemistry Week (NCW) only
B. Chemists Celebrate Earth Day (CCED) only
C. Both NCW and CCED
D. Neither NCW or CCED
American Chemical Society
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What do ChemClubs do?
ACS ChemClub-sponsored events
 ChemClub Community Activities Grant (Due: June 3)
 ChemClub projects—Coins for Cleaner Water
 ChemClub blog—http://acschemclubs.org
 ChemClub contests—cookbook
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American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
ACS ChemClub
Program Resources
Examples of free resources for clubs:
• Framed charter certificate
• Quarterly resource packets
• Weekly e-mail update*
• Membership cards
• Student Certificates
• Pins or Iron-on decals for t-shirts
• Polo shirts for the advisor
• And much more . . .
* You’ll have a chance to sign up for the email update at the end of the presentation
American
Chemical Society
ACS Local
Sections
+
ACS
ChemClubs
American Chemical Society
ACS ChemClub Program
Perfect Synergy!
Establishing connections between ACS ChemClubs and ACS
Local Sections, ACS Student Affiliate Chapters, and the
Community
Ami LeFevre
Niles West High School
Skokie, IL
Why ACS ChemClubs?
• Social component to chemistry
• Raises morale of chemistry students
• See the “faces” and “real people” behind chemistry
• Student driven and student centered
• Pathway to continued involvement with ACS, such as
networking, Project SEED, US National Chemistry Olympiad
• Clubs of varying sizes and structures can have a significant
impact on students
ACS ChemClubs is the only program of the Society that
is accessible to all high school students regardless of
curriculum or grade level.
American Chemical Society
Niles West ChemClub Meetings
•
Monthly meetings - KOOL Aid experiment, ice cream
making, tie dye, Club t-shirts
•
Club Collaboration - Students communicate
involvement in science programs beyond the
classroom
–
Medical explorers Northwestern Hospital
–
NYLF National Youth Leadership Forum in Medicine
–
American Cancer Society Research
–
Argonne National Lab
–
Project SEED
–
USNCO (United States National Chemistry Olympiad)
–
ACS Chicago Section Scholarship Exam
–
University of Chicago Medical Camp
–
Museum of Science & Industry Science Minors
–
Volunteering at hospital
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Niles West ChemClub
Edison Elementary School Visit
American Chemical Society
Niles West Outreach Activities
•
Niles West Health Fair
•
Summer work–Sizzling Summer
Science assistants for 3rd -6th grade
students
•
TAP (The Awareness Project) Programcreated by students
American Chemical Society
GEMS Girls Empowering
Math & Science
The Niles West Chemistry Club worked with 5th and 6th Grade Girls
• Sponsored by the National Girls Collaborative Project.
• ACS Policy Priority
Encourage the best and the brightest to pursue scientific careers,
particularly more women, underrepresented minorities, and people with
disabilities.
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How can ACS local sections
support ACS ChemClubs?
Involve high school teachers & students in activities
that will enhance their appreciation for and cultivate
interest in chemistry
• Invite ChemClub sponsors to a monthly local section
meeting
• Send local section newsletters to the ChemClub
sponsors
• Send information and invitations to the local section
monthly meetings.
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How can ACS local sections
support ACS ChemClubs?
Promote awareness of and/or participation in ACS opportunities
for high school teachers and their students
•
Host ACS Chemistry Day at local universities or colleges
•
Administer annual inter-chemistry club competitions (poster
contest, haiku contest, crystal growing contest, etc.)
•
Promote the Chemistry Olympiad, Project SEED, ChemMatters,
National Chemistry Week, Chemists Celebrate Earth Day, and
the Journal of Chemical Education classroom activities
•
Help cultivate a more positive attitude toward chemistry and
chemical enterprise.
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How can ACS local sections
support ACS ChemClubs?
Provide mentoring program for students interested in
pursuing research or careers in STEM.
•Invite ChemClubs to learn about chemistry careers
•Field trips to facilities along with science career speakers
•College preparatory & research information sessions
•Promote ACS national meetings & high school days
•Organize events between high school ChemClubs and
local university Student Affiliates
American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Growing the Local Section’s
Outreach to the Area
ChemClubs
Carmen Valdez Gauthier
Councilor, Florida Local Section
Examples of outreach
to area ChemClubs
• Organize events for high school teachers at local
section meetings
• Foster collaborations between local colleges and
ChemClubs
• Involve ChemClubs in NCW and CCED events
 Self-nominate for a ChemLuminary award
sponsored by CCA for the Best HS ChemClub NCW
• Apply for an Innovative Project Grant
• Reach out to members in industry
American Chemical Society
Organize events for high school
teachers at local section meetings
• Teachers need to
know what ACS has
to offer
American Chemical Society
High School Teacher Programs
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9:00-9:30 Registra tion
9:30-10:30 ACS Progra ms
Keynote address by 1996 Nobel
Laureate
Sir Harold Kroto
10:30-11:30 Share-A-Thon
11:30-12:15 Lunch
12:15-2:00 Dead Chemist’ s Society
Dead Chemists Society
Professor William C. Deese
Louisiana Tech University
2:00-3:00 Inquiry-Based Labs
3:00-4:00 Keynote address
Registration Dateline: January 5, 2006 -http://membership.acs.org/F/Florida/index.html
Share-A-Thon information: cheryl.pierce@polk-fl.net
American Chemical Society
Foster collaborations between
local colleges and ChemClubs
American Chemical Society
Benefits of the Program
• For the college students:
– Improve and refine written and oral
communication skills.
– Use concepts learned in foundation chemistry
courses in adapting laboratory experiences for
high school students.
– Serve as mentors to high school students.
• For the high school students:
– Use instrumentation not available in a traditional
high school lab.
– Explore career opportunities in the sciences.
– Improve writing skills.
– Evaluate information.
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Involve ChemClubs in NCW and
CCED Events
American Chemical Society
ChemLuminary Award
• Recognizes a local section for a unique NCW event
in which ChemClubs play a major role.
Florida Section nomination:
–
Chemistry at the mall event
hosted by a Student Affiliates
Chapter and two high school
ChemClubs
–
Student Affiliates hosted handson activities at the Explorations V
Children’s Museum.
–
Florida Southern College hosted
a career day, sponsored by the
high school ChemClubs, SA-ACS
chapter, local industries, and the
generous support of the Local
Section through an Innovative
Activity Grant.
American Chemical Society
Apply for an
Innovative Project Grant
• Host a career day
• Organize a high school program at a regional
meeting for professional development
• Partnerships:
– Division – Local Sections
– Industries
• Support NCW and CCED
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Reach out to members in
industry and research institutes
• Florida Phosphate Institute
• Local Industries
– Mosaic
– CF Industries
– Arr-Maz Industries
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Thank you for
joining us!
American Chemical Society
Thank you to today’s
presenters:
Erica K. Jacobsen
ACS consultant, The Dalles, OR
Ami LeFevre
Niles West High School, Skokie, IL
Carmen V. Gauthier
Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL
Marta Gmurczyk
ACS Office of High School Chemistry, Manager
Karen M. Kaleuati
ACS Education, ChemClub Program Administrator
American Chemical Society
Contact Information
www.acs.org/chemclub
www.facebook.com/acschemclubs
http://acschemclubs.org
www.twitter.com/acschemclubs
hschemclubs@acs.org
Q&A
American Chemical Society