National Chemistry Week           Education
                                       
 

National Chemistry Week began as National Chemistry Day, and was a vision of then ACS President, George C. Pimentel. In 1986, Pimentel stated that…

National Chemistry Day is a bold and exciting undertaking for us. Its success will be measured, in the short term, by the number of people reached by our efforts. Over the long term, we will measure our success by the continued use of chemistry to solve societal problems and to improve the quality of life for us all.

This visionary statement led the ACS Board of Directors to establish National Chemistry Day (NCD), which was celebrated November 6, 1987.

  National Chemistry Week

A parade spanning two blocks in Washington, DC, helped kicked off the celebration with 173 out of 182 ACS local sections participating in the festivities within their communities. NCD was so well-received by the general public that in 1988 it received the highest honor accorded for excellence in public relations and was awarded the Public Relations Society of America Silver Anvil.


The original intent was to celebrate NCD on a biannual basis. Because of the overwhelming enthusiasm and support shown in its debut year, NCD was expanded to a weeklong celebration and renamed, “National Chemistry Week” (NCW) in 1989. In 1993, NCW officially became an annual
event, although many ACS local sections had already been celebrating it annually.

 
Click here for more information about National Chemistry Week [PDF]
     
2008 National Chemistry Week Events

Celebrating

The Chemistry of Sports

October 18 - 25, 2008

     

October 18, 2008 – Museum of Science Boston

  • Phyllis A. Brauner Memorial Lecture by Dr. Bassam Shakhashiri

Dr. Bassam Shakhashiri is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is the William T. Evjue Distinguished Chair for the Wisconsin Idea.  Professor Shakhashiri has captivated audiences with his scientific demonstrations at a variety of locations including Boston’s Museum of Science, the National Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. 

            Taking place in Cahners Theatre (2nd floor, Blue Wing) at 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm.   

            * Admission to the museum is required for the 1:00 pm show.  Free tickets to Dr. Shakhashiri’s show will be available on a first come, first serve basis. 

            * Admission to the museum is NOT required for the 4:00 pm show.  Tickets are available via advance reservation.  To reserve tickets, please contact Marilou Cashman either via email mcash0953@aol.com (preferred) or by phone 1-800-872-2054 before October 15, 2008.  Tickets will be available for pick-up in the lobby of the museum at the ACS table. Admission to the museum is required. 
          

  • Kicking off National Chemistry Week 2008 festivities

Join us in a variety of hands-on activities related to the yearly theme.  Taking place from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm on October 18, 2008 in the lower level of the Blue Wing.

 

October 25, 2008 – Boston Children’s Museum

From 10:30 am – 4 pm, NCW volunteers will be on-hand throughout the museum to perform demonstrations and assist in hands-on activities related to the yearly theme.
 

September 1 – October 15, 2008

K-12 students participate in the NCW poster competition.  Visit www.nesacs.org or click this link for more information.
 

October 1 – 31, 2008

Grades 1-12 may participate in the puzzle contest.  See www.nesacs.org or the October 2008 issue of the Nucleus for the puzzles and contest information. 

Click here to download flyer [PDF]
American Chemical Society Local Section

 

 
National Chemistry Week

The Northeastern Section of the ACS is also participating in the

National Poster Contest

Students in K-12 may participate

 

The Northeastern Section of the ACS is also participating in the National Poster Competition. Details are outlines below:

ncw poster
  1. National Chemistry Week 2008 Poster Contest — The Many Faces of Chemistry.  Students in grades K-12 may participate.
  2. For additional information about the poster contest, click here for poster details.
  3. Judging of Poster:
    1. The first round of judging should occur at the home institution. Examples of judges for the competition would be science coordinators and art coordinators.
    2. Two winning posters from each category should be sent by
      October 17, 2008 to:

      Christine Jaworek-Lopes
      Emmanuel College
      400 The Fenway
      Boston, MA 02115
    3. During the week of October 20, 2008, members of the National Chemistry Week Committee will select the winning poster from each grade category. Students and teachers will be notified during the week of October 29, 2008.
    4. The winning posters will be sent to the ACS office in Washington DC by October 31, 2008. 

Click here for Poster Competition Flyer [PDF]
 
Click here for more information about the poster contest [PDF]
 

 

     

 


                                       
                                       

 

ACS Scholars

Ashdown Examination Contest

 

 

 
   
|
|
Site Map