Program Highlights

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

In 2014, 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 American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT) launched. It is the first national, chemistry-specific association of its kind dedicated to K–12 teachers. The AACT website debuted with 120 high school, 18 middle school, and 13 elementary school resources in 15 categories; 22 pieces of original multimedia; hundreds of auxiliary files; and information on upcoming events. The Dow Chemical Company, the association’s Sole Founding Partner, provided a gift of $1 million to expand AACT teacher resources.  A joint press release  was issued by Dow and ACS and picked up by numerous news outlets.

The ACS High School Chemistry Club Program, established in 2005 with 15 clubs, now has more than 535 clubs including 24 international clubs.

A new kids website, Adventures in Chemistry, launched in May 2014.  The website is designed to capture the interests and imagination of pre-K and elementary school children with videos, experiments and games.

The ACS Science Coaches program encourages chemists to assist teachers on an on-going basis throughout the school year. In 2014, 200 chemist-teacher partnerships in 43 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia were accepted into the ACS Science Coaches program.

The number of undergraduate student chapters has grown to 1,075, with more than 19,800 members.

ACS Graduate & Postdoctoral Chemist, the Society’s e-magazine for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, reached 21,000 subscribers. It was also released as an Apple and Android app this year.

The new College to Career website aimed at helping undergraduates explore chemistry-related career options reached over 116,000 unique visitors. The site included 40 career descriptions, 100 individual career profiles, and advice and guidance on how to achieve career goals.

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 30 internships in summer 2014. Every SCI scholar selects a high school chemistry teacher to receive recognition and a $1,000 award.

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 2,679 African-American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American students have participated in the program since 1995. Of those, more than 1,500 have earned bachelor’s degrees in a chemical science. More than 200 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 2014, 468 volunteer scientists and coordinators mentored 423 students, in nearly 140 institutions in 37 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. For the 2014–2015 school year, the Project SEED Scholarship Subcommittee awarded 28 Project SEED College Scholarships, totaling $140,000, to former SEED students for their freshman year.