CHEMISTS AND EDUCATORS-A PARTNERSHIP' HARVEY R. RUSSELL2 American Cyanamid Company, New York, N. Y.
FOR centuries and in varied cultures the skills and knowledge of one generation have been transmitted t o the next by apprenticeship. With the rise of specialization and development of formal school systems, many of the values of the "learning by doing" process of apprenticeship have been lost. I t has been suggested that teen-age boys and girls, who in our culture appear to be cherished more for their potentialities than for their accomplishments, were in colonial times an indispensable part of the farm economy; the strength, energy, and flexibility of their minds and bodies served a useful function. However, present conditions permit only limited use of adolescents, and the urgent sense of reality in their lives is often missing. This may contribute to their difficulties. The sense of reality that comes from having a "real job" rather than the "make-believe" of school is certainly a powerful motivating factor which must come from the outside, but if it could be made a part of their formal schooling, it might be advantageous for all. This suggests the value of cooperation between industry and education. Before further discussion, it might be well t o d e h c some terms. To define the term "education cooperation" I shall quote from the Guide which bas been prepared for our local plant managers:
The primary purpose of the Education Cooperation Program is to encourage and assist study in those areas in which the Company's resources of knowledge and experience can be helpful. Such help should be given through active cooper&m and participation of Company Personnel with educators and students where such help is wanted and is feasible. Other secondary aims may develop from the primary purpose as the needs arise. The Education Cooperation Program fills itn important part of the Company's program of Community Relations by helping communities to solve some of the problems with which they are deeply concerned.
VALUES AND LIMITATIONS
Industry and education are mutually interdependent. The schools rely on the community not only for support in terms of tax money, but also for support of curriculum, discipline, etc. Schools have become painfully aware of this dependence in recent years. Industry relies on the schools to provide basic knowledge, skills, and attitudes for future manpower, customers, and stockholders. To its chagrin, industry has found recently that problems of education vitally affect its interests, particularly in the manpower area, and is makng efforts t o help. Every alert industrialist and educator is aware that the large growth of population in this country will require the best efforts of both industry and education to provide the needed goods, services, and training for the kind of life we all desire. We believe that cooperation will help substantially to Lducatiou t:oopcration mcans (wing the knowlcdgr, skill, and solve these problems, which explains what is meant by rq,ericnre of industry whew the? mn hc applied to help whlcathe title: "Chemists and Educat,orsA Partnership." tion to solvr its pn,lden~a. It involvri working with tenvhrrr and The limitations of cooperation are not difficult to others who are trying to meet the needs of students. It may alao involve other functions where the skill and knowledge of Com- understand. Education is primarily concerned with pany personnel can be helpful, such its the planning, construction, training on broad basic principles rather than on and maintenance of buildings, etc. specific details of processes, whether thev be in science. A further quotation defining the purpose of the corn-eionomics, business administration, or other fields: pany's Education Cooperation Program may be useful: Therefore the amount of detailed material that can be used by education must be limited. Industry can Presented at the 18th Summer Conference of the NEACT, furnish examples and other assistance, and educators University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, August must choose from these offerings. similarly, "Z ' , ,WOO. industry, which is concerned primarily kith the c o i l 2 The author is Coordinator of Education Cooperation for the plex operations of modern technical business rather American Cyanamid Company, with offices at 30 ~ ~ ~ k ~ f ~ l ~ ~ ~ Plaza, New York, N. Y. than with education, would be a false servant of
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society if it did not make the production of goods and services its main concern. Industry can therefore give only limited attention to the educational function, which means that there must be some limitations to cooperation. Some practical limitations include schedule difficulties in schools and plants, misunderstandings, inertia, and entrenched resistance on both sides. However, experience seems to indicate that the values far exceed the difficultieswhen cooperation is successfully practiced. The key to successful cooperation is feasibility, and the area of feasibility exists in the overlap between what schools or industry desire and what each can do. If we do what is feasible now, we may be able to accomplish more in the future.
subject file listing names of the people who are authorities in a particular subject-matter field. After educators are accustomed to using the information service, they or their students can refer inquires which are beyond the immediate resources of the classroom to a central person (the education cooperation representative) who will then edit the questions and refer them to the proper authorities. A study of the techniques of cooperation indicated that 71 cases out of 181 were of the "information service" c a t e g ~ r y . ~The subject matter ranged from a simple inquiry on how to make a chemical garden to a query about electron configurations in such molecules as sodium carbonate and bicarbonate, Most of these questions were adequately answered within a period of 48 hours. The study also revealed that the questions TECHNIQUES OF COOPERATION were widespread in origin and that a large number of Traditional methods by which industry has helped scientists participated in providing the answers. Speakers. We all know that demonstrations are education have been largely financial in the form of superior to talk alone, but all who have prepared scholarships, fellowships, loans, and the like. Educademonstrations understand the difficulties that are tion cooperation is a broader pattern by which skills and knowledge may he made useful to school personnel. involved when the preparation is made under varying I t includes: teaching aids, information services, conditions, often unfavorable. Because of the effort speakers, financial assistance, plant visits, assistance required, possibly we have not done as much as should to individuals, employment and work experience, and be done. Through our program we have endeavored to present competent speakers on popular subjects seminars for teachers. To define and illustrate the techniques, reference will such as plastics, weather, drugs and pharmaceutical be made to the work of the education committee of the chemistry, chemical current events and their signifiWestern Connecticut Section of the A.C.S. and the cance to the layman. Financial Assistance. Financial assistance from the education cooperation . program of American Cyanamid American Cyanamid Company is given chiefly in the C~mpany.~ form of fellowships and scholarships for college-level Teaching Aids. Most teachers are aware of the value of teachins aids. but thev are also aware of the students. For secondary schools we are limited largely disadvantages when misguided efforts put excessive to prizes, gifts, and loans of equipment from time to stress on product publicity or institutional advertising, time a t a local level, and sponsorship of student and or when material is too advanced for the grade for teacher guests at professional association dinners and which it was intended. The Cyanamid program tries functions. These methods are useful and highly to avoid such errors by using the publications of pro- commendable. One might criticize them mildly by fessional groups such as the A.C.S., the Manufacturing pointing out that they are external incentives that have Chemists Association,and the National Science Teachers no intrinsic relation to chemistry. We prefer to emAssociation. New aids are being developed, such as a phasize such techniques as information services, infilm strip presenting a tour of the Stamford Lahorator- dividual assistance, and plant visits. Plant Visits. These are extremely valuable tools of ies. The script follows two research problems, one in education when adequately prepared for. The techplastics and the other in insecticides. Information Seruiee. This is a method by which nique which seems to have worked best in our experiprofessional scientists, administrators, accountants, ence is t o request the teacher t o come alone t o tour the craftsmen, and others with particular knowledge and plant. A conference is then arranged in which me disskill can become sources of information for teachers. cuss the question of which portion of the tour is most To facilitate this service, the cooperation of the skilled useful for students. Sad experience has taught us that personnel and the sanction of the administration is no one gets very much value out of a random tour first obtained, and machinery is set up for mobil- through the building. The selection by the chemists izing the resource people. A directory consisting of and the teacher together of what part of the plant to two card files has proved useful for this p u r p o ~ e . ~show in detail in relation to the school work has been One of the card files contains the names of the experts, proved to be effective. We also find that it is profittheir addresses and telephone numbers. The other is a able for the teacher to select certain students to make such a trip on the basis of ability and interest. The ' For details, see RUSSELL,H. R., "Chemical Education Is Our entire class freauentlv gets a preview of the trip through
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Business, Tw," C h .Eng. News, 31, 3358 (1953). ' Althounh the file of this direetarv is no loneer .. omrated bv theedurat;h rornrnittce of \I.r.ttn~ i'onncrrirut Serrim cof f h b A.C.S.,snrnplrs of the crrrds inn? Igr ohruind irum thr atlfhor.
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' RUSSELL,H. R., "Pattems of Cooperation Between Industry and Education," unpublished doctoral thesis, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, 1956.
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pictures, slides, and description by the teacher after his visit. The film strip I have referred t o above is designed in part for this purpose--to give the entire class a preview of the Stamford Laboratories. I n many cases the preview is adequate for the interests and abilities of the students. I n others the preview stimulates interest and provides clarification so that their own personal visit becomes a more significant experience. Not the least stimulating is the experience of seeing their teacher recognized by his former students who have sometimes achieved positions of distinction in laboratory operations. A late afternoon hour is the best time for a tour because it avoids schedule dSculties at school and often screens out those who are merely attempting to escape the classroom. It also enables students to see the laboratory when it is filled with people a t work as well as to examine the apparatus in greater detail after the workers have left. At our Stamford Laboratories we have directed the visits toward analytical procedures, showing chemical and spectroscopic methods and synthetic work-particularly the development of a synthetic resin from test-tube and flask stage up through pre-pilot and sometimes pilot plant operation. At our Bound Brook plant, where production of chemicals in large bulk is undertaken, students see work on dyes and pigments and also a large contact sulfuric acid plant. Young people are always impressed by the process in which one man in the yard operating an endless chain conveyor belt for sulfur and a few others inside watching a series of dials can turn out over 200 tons of sulfuric acid in a day through use of automatic control of heat and catalysts and pressure velocity rates. The catalyst in this case is vanadium pentoxide. The Bound Brook plant is especially interesting to students who intend to terminate their education at the high-school level, because large maintenance shops are required by that operation. Boys are able to observe skilled craftsmen a t work and see how the skills they are learning in their trade and vocational schools are actually employed in the big Cyanamid plant. Those who may have the ability for and interest in further education are encouraged by visiting the research portions of the installation and observing the use of calculations and instruments. At Pearl River, where pharmaceutical operations are undertaken, students of the surrounding area are able to see work in medicinal and biological research in the fields of nutrition, antibiotics, viruses, and many others. Tours are not permitted in virus research or production areas, but students are.shown a film, "The Smallest Foe," which is an excellent discussion of this kind of research.' Assistance to Individuals. Help is given t o students and teachers on individual projects and occasionally on 6 Prints of "The Smallelest Foe" are available from the Lederle Division, American Cyanamid Company, Pearl River, New York. (Attention: Public Relations De~artment.)
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
such matters as tutoring individual students. Among the different projects have been experiments on feeding, vitamins, and a more difficult experiment involving hormones. One student built a working model of a sodium chloride electrolysis operation. The interesting feature of this project was that his adviser helped him obtain an old refrigerator pump and connect it backwards so as to provide a vacuum for boiling off the water a t low temperatures. He was able in this way to recover all three products: hydrogen, chlorine, and relatively dry sodium hydroxide. Other students have had the usual high-school level concern for jet engines, explosives, and a11 the violent manifestations of energy. One interesting experience provided an excellent opportunity t o teach some safety precautions. Two students came to us for help in building a rocket. They were using an unprotected cast-iron pipe to test a gunpowder mixture as a rocket fuel. The possibilities of hazard in this setup are considerable. The adviser assisted the boys to make a more suitable firing shell (shielding the cast-iron pipe) by helping them build a ballastic pendulum which not only would give them greater safety but also a more accurate method of computing the energy emitted. He also suggested that the testing grounds be moved from the back yard of a fairly crowded neighborhood t o a not-toodistant gravel pit where, among other advantages, the boys found the privacy needed for research. Employment and Work Experience. The summer of 1956 has seen the continuation of a summer teacher employment program. We have employed eight teachers (three mathematics and five chemistry teachers) on various projects related to the teachers' subject-matter fields. It was possible to give each teacher an assignment which he could do and complete within the limited time without holding up other research. To find such projects requires ingenuity and effort, but we feel we have been successful and hope the program will be continued next year. Seminars for Teachers. This technique was worked out by Dr. Benjamin Luberoff and the education committee of the Western Connecticut Section of the A.C.S. during the past year. About 30 teachers enrolled in a seminar which was sponsored jointly by the A.C.S. and some of the superintendents of schools, with the strong encouragement of the Commissioner of Education of the State of Connecticut. Of the 30, 17 went for the full two- to threemonths' period, with meetings every two weeks. They themselves selected the discussion topics from a suggested list, and experts in these fields were brought in. The reactions from the teachers were distinctly divided. Some felt that this type of discussion was of sufficient interest t o them, although not directly usable in the classroom: others felt that it presented too many problems. Vocational Guidance. I n general, we feel that vocational guidance is a result of the other activities
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I t would seem reasonable to conclude that our efforts to help strengthen their understanding were effective. On the more personal side, relationships with teachers have become warm and friendly so that they do not hesitate t o call us when they have a problem or to assist us in various ways. Cooperation is a two-way street. I always enjoy telling the story of the time when Cyanamid's large research laboratory, with its imposing array of reagents and equipment, one day had to turn to a local school t o borrow some chemicals which it did not have. One of our men wished to illustrate a talk with a demonstration: the cold light by the oxidation of Luminol. The latter material is not a standard item in the stockroom a t our research laboratory, and the speaker was about to abandon his demonstration until it was suggested that possibly one of our teacher colleagues might provide it. This proved to be the case, and we were indebted to the high school for apparatus, materials, and good advice on the demonstration. An important effect of education cooperation is the reaction of the participating chemists. With few exceptions, they find that their activities give them a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment in working with young people. I think vou will find that a new s ~ i r i is t develo~iue in industry which favors cooperation with educaiiony RESULTS OF THE PROGRAM Industrialists, however, may find education cooperation Evaluation of efforts such as those described above is a new experience, and teachers should make a strong always difficult. The best encouragement probably is effort to assist industrialists t o help education by being the continuing demand for these services. It is also prepared to suggest useful techniques for cooperation. interesting to note what has happened t o the students The techniques of education cooperation are relatively we aided during the first year of operation. They are simple and, when properly applied, can give satisnow finished with college. One of them is a nurse, two factory results in terms of enrichment of curriculum, are in medicine, one is a metallurgist, one is working for facilitation of understanding and communication bea well-known electronic computer firm, and one majored tween educators and industrialists, and in warmer in sociology. (We consider it a distinct asset to provide personal relationships between students and their a social scientist with experience in the natural sciences.) communities.
discussed above. However, to give specific direction our vocational guidance activities start with a meeting at the high school with a relatively large number of students who might be interested in chemistry. Slides or films are shown giving some idea as to what chemical careers are like, and a substantial portion of the time is spent in answering questions. The pamphlet, "Shall I Study Chemistry?" prepared by the A.C.S., is usually distributed, and students are urged to stay after the meeting or to arrange through their teachers for an interview with one of our chemists. One interesting activity is the assistance given by Cyanamid to the Connecticut State Department of Education in planning new courses and equipment for training chemical technicians a t the state technical schools. Another technique which is used is called the "shadow technique." A student will follow a chemist around during his day and just observe what he does and the kind of relationships he has with other people. While some care has to be taken in the selection of students and chemists to make sure they are compatible, this technique has often proved t o be a most satisfactory way of demonstrating the activities of the chemical profession We have not used this technique very often and cannot comment on its results.
Chem-Gems (Authentic but Uncut) Hydrogen is used in the mufacture of synthetic pneumonia. Calcium chloride is used to h y dust on roads beoauae it is delinquent. Concentrated nitric acid ia prepared in a tabulated report. The change from a solid directly to a. gas is called transubstantiation.
From the collection of Lome Lea, St. Paul's School, Concmd, New Hampshire
