Would You Like to Help Interest Kids in Chemistry and Science?

Each year our Cleveland ACS Section celebrates National Chemistry Week (NCW) in October with a fun, hands-on “chemistry” Program for kids in grades 2-6.  This Program consists of a set of 5 or 6 age-appropriate, yet educational “experiments” which our volunteer Demonstrators present at 10 branches of the Cuyahoga County Public Library.  With this Program we’re trying to not only celebrate NCW, but also to interest children in science in general and chemistry in particular.  Kids exit our Program each year telling us that they never thought Chemistry could be such fun and often wanting more!

Our Cleveland Section supports an NCW Planning Committee of volunteers who create the hour-long Program each year based on a theme from National ACS (www.acs.org/ncw).  This Committee meets via Zoom bi-weekly for about an hour during the Spring and Summer to nominate, consider and finalize candidate experiments—all of which have to have a high WOW factor for the kids.  This year planning is well advanced to the point where we’re already considering several experiments.  The meetings culminate in late August with an in-person meeting where we get together to perform and time each selected experiment.  Afterwards the Committee creates a detailed Script which lays out the entire Program for the Demonstrators, meets with additional Volunteers one Saturday morning in September to create 10 “kits” of materials for the Demonstrators and then performs a “dress rehearsal” which we post on YouTube.

We’re seeking additional volunteers to serve as assistants to our experienced Demonstrators in October or to join our Planning Committee to get a feel for what we’re about.  The Committee is a friendly, close-knit group of professionals including anyone interested in passing on their interest in science and chemistry to kids.  Our members include chemists, engineers and physicians; organizations represented include Cleveland State University, Case Western Reserve University, John Carroll University and the Cleveland Clinic.

If you’d be interested in joining us or would just like to participate in a Zoom meeting, please email Bob Fowler at jrfowler@cox.net.  Bob will be happy to discuss further how rewarding this small time commitment can be and to answer any questions you might have.