This week, October 17-23,2010, is National Chemistry Week,which as science educator is one of my favorite times of the year, along with National Engineers Week in February. Now these two STEM themed weeks, may be my favorite because I have a degree in chemical engineering. However, I realize that these weeks bring attention to two career paths that aren't pursued not because kids are intellectually capable but aren't exposed to these career paths enough. I also think people don't realize how much chemistry is connected to their everyday lives. Almost everything we do and most of the technological advances that improve our quality of life or entertain us are based on chemistry. One of my favorite entrepreneurs Madame CJ Walker,became a millionaire from a real-world application of chemistry, making hair care products.
National Chemistry Week (NCW) is a community-based annual event that unites American Chemical Society (ACS) local sections, businesses, schools, and individuals in communicating the importance of chemistry to our quality of life ( for more information check out this website http://bit.ly/d1WGTd). Although this event is a program of the American Chemical Society, there are many scientific professional societies and STEM educational organizations and schools that host national chemistry week events. Every year since its inception, SEM Link has celebrated National Chemistry Week by engaging K-12 students in hands on activities in chemistry and career exploration in these fields. We were able to do this through partnerships with our local section of American Chemical Society and volunteers that were chemical professionals or graduate or undergraduate students.
The 2010 National Chemistry week is exciting because we are hosting celebrations on both coasts. In Metropolitan Atlanta, we are partnering with Georgia Institute of Technology to visit local middle schools to engage kids in hands on chemistry activities and provide role models for these students. We are excited to provide these students an opportunity to meet and interact with undergraduate and graduate students that can serve as role models for those kids that are interested in science. In Oakland, we are hosting a National Chemistry Week Celebration with our San Francisco Bay Area community partner the ASA Community Science Center. This event is extra special because it is a satellite event of the USA Science & Engineering Festival. The festival, which is in its inaugural year, is a national celebration of Science engineering that takes place October 10-23, 2010. At the Oakland event, which is free and open to the public, we are going to expose kids to chemistry through hands on activities.
National Chemistry Week is another opportunity for us to do what we do as an organization "unveil potential through exposure"
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
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About SEM Link
- SEM Link
- Science, Engineering and Mathematics Link, Inc. (SEM Link), a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, was founded in 2004 on the premise that exposure to members of the science, engineering and mathematics (SEM) communities is critical to student development in math and science. Our mission is to promote student achievement and career exploration in math and science while increasing student exposure to the science, engineering and mathematics communities and enhancing resources that are available at local schools and community organizations. Our two core programs, Math and Science Career Academy and Experimental Design Program, provide students with an opportunity to develop their math and science skills by enhancing the classroom learning experience and teaching them skills that are transferable to other areas of life. We recruit students and professionals for our programs that have backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.