Past Kids Zone Events
ACS Kids Zone - Chemists Catalyze Change
Presidential Outreach Event, ACS Fall 2021
Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, GA and on Facebook Live
Chemists are catalysts for positive scientific and social change in communities everywhere! The ACS Committee on Community Activities and ACS President H. N. Cheng along with partners ACS Georgia Local Section, Spelman College Chemistry Club, and others hosted a hybrid in-person and virtual science event in celebration of the theme, Chemists Catalyze Change. During a one-hour shift, attendees and viewers:
- Conducted engaging hands-on science activities
- Interviewed scientists at Meet a Chemist tables
- Learned how to advocate for chemistry
- Watched a short interactive play at the chemistry theater called “Choose That Catalyst,” authored by Holly Walter Kerby of Fusion Science Theater and funded by the National Science Foundation's Advancing Informal Science Learning Division
Watch the Virtual Event Recording
The Facebook Live event has been watched by thousands of interested families! You too can watch a recording of the virtual event on Facebook where ACS science communicator Allison Tau walks you through the full program, from watching the play in the chemistry theater to conducting the hands-on activities.
Download the Hands-On Activities
Want to do the activities from the event at home? Download the activity instructions below:




Virtual ACS Kids Zone - Earth Day 2021
Reducing Our Footprint with Macromolecular Chemistry
Watch the recorded #ACSKidsZone event, hosted by Sam Jones, science communicator and host of Reactions for Chemists Celebrate Earth Week and Earth Day 2021. Conduct hands-on activities with popular STEM advocates around the educational theme, "Reducing Our Footprint with Macromolecular Chemistry." This event is offered in English with closed captioning in Spanish and Chinese.
Materials List and Activity Write-Ups
Download the materials list for all three activities to follow along with the presenters as you watch the event recording. Each of the activity write-ups are available below.
Activity 1: Reduce Your Footprint with Shrinky Dinks
Activity 2: Cleaning Up Oil Spills with Chemistry
Activity 3: Choose and Reuse Compostable Plastics
More Past Events

Presidential Outreach Event – Fall 2020
Virtual
- Explore the topic of innovation through chemistry with a virtual #ACSKidsZone event featuring Miss Camille Schrier — Miss America 2020 — and more distinguished guests
- Host Bibiana Campos Seijo, Editor-in-Chief of Chemical & Engineering News, led viewers through four different virtual hands-on activities conducted by popular STEM advocates
- Offered in two languages, English and Spanish
- Download the activity sheets:

Presidential Outreach Event – Fall 2019
Fleet Science Center, San Diego, CA
Saturday, August 24, 2019
- Over 300 attendees
- 8 hands-on activities on the theme “Chemistry & Water"
- Science Storytellers with Chemical & Engineering News
- Giveaway bags with periodic table posters and other educational merchandise
- Facebook event reached a total of 49,600 people and got over 2,000 responses

Presidential Outreach Event – Spring 2019
Orlando Science Center, Orlando, FL
Saturday, March 30
- Over 340 attendees
- Spring 2019 Meeting & Expo
- 9 different hands-on activities facilitated by ACS members and students
- Over 200 people were offered free tickets to the museum through a special partnership between ACS and OSC

2018 National Chemistry Week (NCW) Kids Zone
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
- Over 320 attendees
- 8 hands-on activities
- National Chemistry Week and its 2018 space theme “Chemistry is Out of This World"
- Full day of hands-on activities, speakers, and stage demonstrations, including building batteries with zinc and copper washers and launching rockets with citric acid and baking soda

Presidential Outreach Event – Fall 2018
Boston Children's Museum, Boston, MA
Saturday, August 18, 2018
- Over 700 attendees
- 256th National Meeting & Exposition
- 13 different hands-on activities, which were facilitated by ACS members and partners, and included scientists and educators from Beyond Benign, Dow Chemical Company, MIT Museum, Museum of Science, and Science Storytellers with C&EN

2018 March for Science
National Mall, Washington, DC
Saturday, April 14, 2018
- Nearly 400 visitors
- Children participated in hands-on activities geared towards the 2018 Chemists Celebrate Earth Week theme, "Dive into Marine Chemistry"

5th USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo
Walter E. Washington Convention Center Washington, DC
April 7-8, 2018
- The nation’s largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) featuring more than 3,000 hands-on exhibits, 30 stage shows, and more!

Presidential Outreach Event – Spring 2018
Lyons Recreation Center, New Orleans, LA
Saturday, March 17, 2018
- Partnered with the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission
- Celebrated 15 years of Chemists Celebrate Earth Week with the theme “Dive into Marine Chemistry."
To see more outreach event photos, visit our Facebook page ACS Outreach.