This Year’s National Chemistry Week theme is “Chemistry is out of this world!” focusing on astrochemistry. You will learn more about the chemistry of outer space in this year’s issue of Celebrating Chemistry. Outer space is mostly empty, with some objects such as planets, moons, stars, asteroids, and comets scattered throughout it. Join us as we learn the about the stars, the Sun, and what it takes to live in outer space. The electronic version of the Celebrating Chemistry Newsletter is available from the ACS website (www.acs.org/ncw).
Each year the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) NCW campaign reaches millions of people with positive messages about the contributions of chemistry to their daily lives. NCW is a community-based annual event that unites ACS local sections, businesses, schools, and individuals in communicating the importance of chemistry to our quality of life. It is the one time during the year that chemists, regardless of background, unite with the common goal of spreading the word that chemistry is good for our economy, our health and our well-being.
The Chemical Society of Washington (CSW), along with the ACS Office of Community Activities, is planning several NCW events. Volunteers are needed for these outreach activities. We are in the early stages of planning the events, so watch for additional information in the October Capital Chemist, or on the Capital Chemist and CSW webpages.
You can contribute to the NCW campaign by performing chemical demonstrations at a neighborhood school (consider having an illustrated poem contest); conducting hands-on activities with children at museums, malls, or libraries; or writing articles or letters to the editor of your local paper. If you would like to lead an activity at your local school or library, CSW will provide you with some grade specific materials to hand out to the students, as well as some simple demonstrations that you can use.
More information about local activities will be posted on the CSW (www.csw-acs.org) or the Capital Chemist (www.capitalchemist.org) web sites as they become available. For further information, or to volunteer, contact the CSW NCW coordinator, Kim M. Morehouse via e-mail at [email protected], or by phone at 240-402-1889 (day) or 301-384-7311 (evening).
