Activity Ideas for Student Chapters
Chapters are often stimulated by projects that involve student members in worthy and interesting endeavors. Explore some of the activities you might sponsor.
- Sponsor a Class Night for students to meet with future professors and discuss courses in chemistry
- Prepare a lounge to use as your meeting room. This arrangement helps focus student attention on the chapter and can increase interest dramatically.
- Maintain a chapter bulletin board and/or display case in the chemistry building to promote events and communicate with members
- Tutor students who are having difficulty with chemistry courses
- Sponsor a symposium or panel discussion on a contemporary issue in science
- Conduct a one-hour seminar each week on modern advances in chemistry
- Conduct a seminar on laboratory safety
- Hold joint meetings with science and math campus groups (chemical engineering, physics, biology, pre-med, math majors) to discuss topics of broad scientific interest
- Give a service award to student members who contribute the most time and effort to the chapter
- Present other awards to outstanding chapter members
- Present an award to your faculty advisor for his/her service
- Host an ACS local section meeting: Staff the registration tables, serve refreshments, and help operate audiovisual equipment
- Encourage your local section to host a meeting so that student members can present papers
- Host the undergraduate program at ACS regional meetings
- Conduct “Fun with Chemistry” meetings. Have members give chemical “magic” demonstrations. Publicize and charge admission to non-members
- Design science competitions and programs for pre-college students
- Develop chemistry activities for 4-H and Boy or Girl Scout merit badges
- Supervise talented high school students in using college laboratory facilities
- Sponsor an Open House for high school students to tour chemistry departments
- Buy a subscription to ChemMatters for a local high school.
- Prepare a program of hands-on chemical demonstrations to present to high school or grade school classes or community groups
- Set up a display booth at a local science fair to supply career information on chemistry
- Hold Earth Day festivals
- Develop National Chemistry Week programs
- Sponsor a joint campus contest/booth/party with other student organizations
- Host a potluck dinner at the faculty advisor’s home
- Sponsor bowling, skating, or pizza nights
- Schedule a faculty-student picnic
- Challenge other student organizations and faculty to a sporting competition
- Convene for study breaks during exams
- Arrange for banquets, parties, receptions
If your chapter completes three or more green chemistry outreach or educational activities during the school year, you will have a chance to receive a Green Chemistry Student Chapter Award.
The final step in planning a successful activity or program is to make sure the event is adequately and appropriately advertised and that arrangements have been made for follow-up reporting and generating archival records. Adequate lead time is essential for publicity to be effective.
A chapter can take steps to make itself visible around campus and in the community. This visibility serves two purposes: It attracts potential members, and it enhances the image of the chapter in the public eye.
- Establish a publicity committee. Appoint a public relations director to see that every member knows about each meeting and is introduced to new members
- Print a chapter newsletter and distribute to all members and chemical science students
- To announce meetings and special events, create colorful, eye-catching posters and flyers
- Place ads in the campus newspaper. Obtain air time on the campus radio and TV stations or the public address system to publicize the chapter.
- Spread the word by mouth. Request that department faculty publicize chapter activities in classes. Give them the information at least two weeks in advance.
- Write up accounts of chapter activities and submit them to the campus and local newspapers
- Design calendars of events and post them in key locations.
- Develop an eye-catching logo and use it to head all announcements.
- Procure a bulletin board strictly for chapter use in the chemistry department.
- Wear chapter and/or ACS paraphernalia.
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