Promoting Education

Teaching and learning chemistry in the context of our world is a hallmark of the resources, services and products produced by ACS. Students and educators know that the ACS is synonymous with quality. ACS continues to be a leader in science education – to inspire students to seek knowledge and careers in science and prepare them for the realities of the global marketplace.

In 2013, we reached out to thousands of eager, young elementary and secondary school students in new and innovative ways. We provided a new generation of undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to learn skills they will need to compete and succeed as they move forward with their careers.

The ACS High School Chemistry Club Program, established in 2005 with 15 clubs, now has more than 559 clubs across the United States and Puerto Rico. During 2013, ACS High School Chemistry Clubs participated in the Coins for Cleaner Water Initiative (in collaboration with the ACS Office of Local Section Activities). Over $10,000 was raised by ACS High School Chemistry Clubs, surpassing the initial goal of $5,000.

The website was nominated for a Webby Award. These awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences to recognize the top education websites in the world. In its category, Middle School Chemistry was nominated alongside such high-profile organizations as TED-ed and Google Chrome Web Lab. Since launching, the site has received over 2.2 million visits from 222 countries and territories. The book has been downloaded over 12,000 times.

The April 2013 issue of ChemMatters (with two NASA-sponsored articles) was submitted for NASA science education product review. This independent peer review helps to ensure that education products distributed by NASA are of high quality and meet rigorous standards. The review resulted in four outstanding ratings and one very good rating. With these strong ratings, the panel recommended ChemMatters articles for distribution through the many NASA outreach channels. Additionally, ChemMatters received two Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX) in 2013. The December 2012 issue received an APEX award for magazine design and layout, and the February 2013 issue received an APEX award for magazine writing. The APEX awards are sponsored by Communications Concepts, Inc., a company that advises publishing, public relations, and marketing professionals on best practices.

The ACS Science Coaches program encourages chemists to assist teachers on an on-going basis throughout the school year. In 2013, 168 chemist-teacher partnerships were accepted into the ACS Science Coaches program. They were spread over 39 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.

The number of undergraduate student chapters has grown to 1,060, with more than 19,000 members.

A new College to Career website launched this year aimed at helping undergraduates explore chemistry-related career options. The initial launch included 35 career descriptions, 68 individual career profiles, and advice and guidance on how to achieve career goals.

A total of $20,750 was distributed in a new student chapter grant program, the Inter Chapter Relations grant. It promotes activities between chapters and between chapters and local sections. Student chapters at 30 four-year institutions and 4 two-year institutions received the grant, and 15 local sections pledged their support. 

The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) America International Group, the American Chemical Society, and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers continue to collaborate in offering the SCI Scholars summer industrial internship program, which introduces chemistry and chemical engineering undergraduate students to careers in the chemical industry. The program hosted an all-time high of 38 internships in summer 2013. Every SCI scholar selects a high school chemistry teacher to receive recognition and a $1,000 award.

One of the most successful Education efforts, the ACS Scholars Program, continues to help underrepresented minority students achieve their dreams of degrees and careers in a broad range of chemical sciences. In all, nearly 2,450 African-American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American students have participated in the program since 1995. Of those, over 1,400 have earned bachelor’s degrees in a chemical science and over 40 percent have entered the chemical science workforce, many with advanced degrees. More than 180 of these ACS Scholars have gone on to earn doctoral degrees in chemistry, chemical engineering, or a related discipline.

The Project SEED program places students in academic, government, or industrial research laboratories for eight to ten weeks during the summer to engage in hands-on science research projects under the supervision of volunteer scientists. In 2013, a record number of  volunteer scientists and coordinators—493 mentored 442 students, in nearly 150 institutions in 36 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

For the 2013-2014 school year, the Project SEED Scholarship Subcommittee awarded 28 Project SEED College Scholarships, totaling $140,000, to former SEED students for their freshman year. In addition, three new renewable Ciba Specialty Chemicals scholarships ($5,000/year) were awarded for the 2013–2016 academic years.