Article pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Graduate Student Outreach: Model of a One-Day “Chemistry Camp” for Elementary School Students Joseph D. Houck,*,†,‡ Natalie K. Machamer,*,§ and Karla A. Erickson*,§ †
Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, United States Department of Chemistry, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405, United States
§
S Supporting Information *
ABSTRACT: One-day chemistry camps, managed by graduate students from the Departments of Chemistry at the Universities of Virginia (UVA) and Vermont (UVM), have proven successful as an outreach initiative. The camp model engages kindergarten through fifth grade elementary school students in hands-on, inquiry-based science experiments to educate and excite them about science. Chemistry Camp is unique in that it is organized and run by graduate students, providing an opportunity for volunteer experience and professional development. Camps have been used as an effective way to raise funds for the Chemistry LEAD (Learning through Experiments and Demonstrations) Program at UVA and for graduate student travel grants at UVM. The first camp was held at UVA in March 2012 with 75 participants, and a second camp, with more than 90 children, was organized in March 2013. Following a similar model, 60 students participated in the first camp at UVM in April 2013. Herein, the authors describe the planning and execution of chemistry camps at both universities so that readers may implement this model of graduate student outreach at other institutions. KEYWORDS: Elementary/Middle School Science, Public Understanding/Outreach, Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives, Graduate Education/Research, Demonstrations, Inquiry-Based/Discovery Learning, Professional Development
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and undergraduate student volunteers to organize and run the day camp. A goal in developing this camp was to encourage and increase the outreach activities that are spearheaded by graduate students. Gaining experience in teaching, leadership, and oral communication are integral pieces to graduate student professional development. Graduate students were in charge of all aspects of organization including fundraising, advertising, logistical planning, experimental design, and preparation of lesson plans. By participating in these programs, we endeavor to foster graduate student interest in outreach programs such that they will be more receptive to continuing these activities in their independent careers. The chemistry camp targets students at the elementary level for several reasons. Namely, the safety and cost of science activities for elementary-aged children are feasible. In addition, science instruction at the elementary school level is a critical component of a comprehensive STEM education. Research shows that interest in science begins before middle school, and positive science experiences further this interest.11 By designing hands-on, inquiry-based experiments that allow the students to actively participate as scientists, it was our hope to create a positive and memorable science experience for the campers. From the examples herein, it will be evident that the camp can be easily tailored for specific demographics and different institutions. Three successful chemistry camps have been
raduate students from the Departments of Chemistry at the Universities of Virginia (UVA) and Vermont (UVM) present a model of a one-day chemistry camp. The 5 h, Saturday camp was designed as an initiative to encourage graduate student participation in outreach activities and to interest kindergarten through fifth grade students in chemistry. The idea for Chemistry Camp stemmed from the authors’ (J.D.H. and N.K.M.) experiences with a similar program at Juniata College as undergraduates.1 The program was modified to suit a large university setting, and at UVA, the camp was used as a fundraiser for the Chemistry LEAD (Learning through Experiments and Demonstrations) Program, a graduate-student outreach club that visits local elementary schools weekly to teach hands-on science lessons.2 Chemistry Camp’s mission complemented that of Chemistry LEAD, making the fundraiser a good fit. The monies generated from the camp at UVM were used as graduate student travel grants. The funds generated from the camps also provided money for future camps, making the program self-sustaining. In the literature, there are several reports describing science camps.3−10 One event is a 4.5 h “Chemistry Night” for high school students as part of National Chemistry Week where students engage in experiments and watch demonstrations.3 Several multiday summer camps target middle and high school students and have a thematic focus (forensics,4 nutrition,5 microscopy,6 or analytical chemistry7). Some camps rely on paid employees or faculty to run the camp.8,9 Our camp model targets elementary school students and utilizes unpaid, graduate © XXXX American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
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organized and executed by graduate students at the two universities. The structure and organizational techniques that were developed are described below. The camps were slightly different at each university, thus demonstrating the flexibility and ease with which this outreach model can be implemented at different universities.
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In 2012, UVA limited the number of children to 75, however, due to the overwhelming popularity, this was increased to 90 in 2013. Each year, UVA organizers have turned people away due to the large number of applications. Both universities’ chemistry departments generously provided some funding for these events; however, outside sources were also solicited to cover costs associated with supplies (lab and office) as well as other startup costs. UVM in particular solicited donations from the community and sought to interest those companies and institutions who would mesh well with the theme “The Chemistry of Food”. For example, UVM’s Food Systems Program14 generously provided funds for materials. During the Chemistry Camps, lunch was provided for all participants and was made possible through donations from the community. As an incentive for all monetary and inkind donations from organizations and businesses, the logo and name was printed on lab materials (UVA) or on the complementary t-shirt provided to campers (UVM).
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Overview of Chemistry Camps at UVA and UVM
The first Chemistry Camp at UVA was held in March 2012 as a fundraiser for the Chemistry LEAD program. Chemistry Camp not only provided funds to continue Chemistry LEAD endeavors but also was an additional opportunity to reach young students to educate and interest them in science. After a successful first camp, UVA organizers planned to make this an annual event, and a second camp was held in March 2013. Using the model developed at UVA,12 UVM hosted their first Chemistry Camp themed “The Chemistry of Food” in April 2013. Of the proceeds, approximately 80% were used as a “minigrant” fund to support graduate student travel to national conferences. All remaining funds will be used to support Chemistry Camps planned for 2014. At both universities, the organization and experiments were all conducted by graduate students and were held in the university’s undergraduate chemistry teaching laboratories. This was an opportunity for the children not only to conduct handson science experiments but also to experience a “real” chemistry lab on a college campus.
Volunteers
Both graduate and undergraduate UVA students were recruited to volunteer. Ten served as teachers for the five experiments. Each group of ca. 16 children was assigned two group leaders (one male and one female, if possible) to chaperone the campers from room to room and assist with the experiments. Three or four additional graduate students served as floaters to assist where needed, take photographs, and run errands. As indicated previously, UVM’s Chemistry Camp almost exclusively (>90%) relied on volunteers from the graduate student population. Volunteers were recruited approximately one month prior to camp through department e-mail listservs. Many volunteers were interested in gaining the teaching and volunteer experience for their resume or curriculum vitae. Others were intrinsically motivated because they enjoy working with children and sharing the joy of science. Volunteers at both camps were promised a light breakfast and lunch, and those at UVM received a camp t-shirt. All volunteers were required to attend a meeting led by the Laboratory Safety Coordinator before camp to discuss important logistical information, safety, and an emergency plan. At UVA, volunteers were required to sign a waiver in accordance with UVA’s Office of Risk Management Volunteer Policy.15 Again, this highlights the different requirements and policies at universities that planners should anticipate in preparation for an event.
Preliminary Planning
Preparation for the camp began six months in advance to set a date, reserve rooms, and obtain appropriate permissions from the chemistry department chair and the university’s Office of Risk Management (or pertinent equivalent). A particular detail to note for those interested in starting a Chemistry Camp is to be aware of the university’s insurance and background check policies. For example, UVM requires background checks for all graduate student volunteers coming in contact with minors. Advertising for the event began approximately three months prior to the camp. Registration forms could not be sent home with students in local public schools due to school policy, so advertisement was dependent on unique networks at each university. UVA LEAD’s network of elementary school teachers shared information and registration forms for the camp with their students and colleagues, while UVM relied heavily on word of mouth among professors at the university. Flyers were also posted at local businesses and institutions. Registration forms could be downloaded from Chemistry LEAD’s Web site (UVA), or obtained by e-mail request from the organizers (UVM). Registration forms (see Supporting Information) and a fee were required for students to attend the camp. All students who registered were accepted on a first-come, first-served basis with the deadline being one month before camp. The universities have different policies on hosting a fundraising event. While UVA allowed for soliciting a fee for students to attend, the fundraising policies at UVM required that the fee be termed a donation. Both the fee and donation were set at $50 per student. As the forms were received by UVA/UVM the students were divided into groups of approximately 16 students based on their age and grade level. The goal was to keep the student:adult ratio low, and within the minimum student:adult ratio requirements as set by The American Camp Association.13
Schedules and Lessons
The day began at 9:00 am with a 20 min registration period. At registration, parents/guardians were welcomed by volunteers and asked to sign a photo release form, specify who is authorized to pick the child up, and sign them in. Both UVM and UVA used color-coded materials to help the participants and volunteers quickly identify which group each child was assigned to. At UVA, the children were provided with a colorcoded folder that included a schedule, worksheets for all of the activities, and acknowledgments to our supporters. At UVM, students were given a color-coded t-shirt to indicate their group. The graduate student leaders of each group had a folder of the same color containing a roster of campers and any medical conditions (food allergies, etc.). UVM also provided a “lab notebook” containing pertinent questions to highlight the overall theme and concept for each lab (see Supporting Information). The graduate student teachers guided the campers through the lab notebook or worksheet questions at B
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Table 1. Sample Schedule for Chemistry Camp Title 9:00−9:20 a.m. 9:20−9:55 a.m. 10:00−10:35 a.m. 10:40−11:15 a.m. 11:20−11:50 a.m. 11:55 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. 12:30−1:00 p.m. 1:00−2:00 p.m.
Lab 1
Lab 2
Lab 3
Lab 4
Lab 5
Experiment 1
Experiment 2
Experiment 4
Experiment 5
Group A Group B Group C
Group E Group A Group B
Group C Group D Group E
Group B Group C Group D
Group D Group E
Group C Group D
Experiment 3 Registration Group D Group E Group A Lunch Group B Group C Demo show
Group A Group B
Group E Group A
was sent with the appropriate person. Parents were particularly appreciative of this dismissal process.
the end of each session in a discussion-based style. It also provided space for students to develop their note-taking skills, which proved to be very popular with both students and parents. All students rotated through the same five 35 min hands-on experiments, during UVA and UVM’s first year. The curriculum was designed to be age-appropriate based on the National Science Standards16 and, at UVA, the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs).17 Ideas for lessons were generated from volunteers’ past experiences and online resources (i.e., American Chemical Society18 and SMILE19). Lesson plans and worksheets were written by graduate student teams and peer reviewed. Each experiment had a team of two graduate student teachers that designed the experiment and taught at the camp. Experiments were chosen that could be easily modified for various age groups (see Supporting Information for Worksheets). They included investigations into color and light, electricity, pH, emulsions, and chromatography. UVM found it helpful to unify the camp with one theme, “The Chemistry of Food”, thus each experiment tied back to this theme. UVA modified their camp in 2013 to accommodate a sixth group of students and adjusted the schedule to have three 1 h experiments. Three experiments were designed for grades K−2, and an additional three for grades 3−5. The longer sessions allowed for a more thorough coverage of a science topic through both demonstrations and hands-on activities. Both organizational schemes were successful. All of the materials for the lab were easily purchased at local grocery stores or were available in the chemistry stockroom. After three laboratories, the students were accompanied to a 45 min lunch and then conducted the last two experiments. A sample schedule is shown in Table 1. At the end of the day, a demonstration show was held. At UVM, parents/guardians were invited to join their students at the demonstration. Parents/guardians were particularly enthused to observe how excited and interested their student(s) had become during the program. Examples of the demonstrations performed include liquid nitrogen, “the oscillating clock” liquid, glow stick, elephant’s toothpaste, colored flames, hydrogen balloon, etc.20 The demonstrations were designed to be visually friendly to appeal to younger students. In 2013, graduate students at UVA performed Fusion Science Theater’s “The Amazing Chemical Circus” as an alternative to a “traditional” demo show.21 Dismissal of the students was completed in their groups from the auditorium at the conclusion of the demonstration show. Parents/guardians were required to sign their children out to maintain a record and to show a photo ID to ensure the child
Assessment and Perspectives
Student volunteers were solicited for feedback on the event. Many graduate students had positive comments and provided suggestions for future camps. At UVA, many of the same graduate students assisted in both camps, showing that participation in the camp was a meaningful experience. A goal of this camp was to foster graduate student interest in outreach with the hope that they would continue service in their independent career. To date, one former graduate student volunteer has started an after school science club at a local Boys and Girls Club. In addition, a survey was sent to parents/guardians via e-mail (Survey Monkey) in order to gain feedback after both camps at UVA. Of the 45% of parents that responded to the survey in 2012, 100% were satisfied with the overall event. Furthermore, 92.8% chose “extremely satisfied”, the highest option on the seven-point rating scale. In 2013, 39% of parents responded with 96% being satisfied, while one parent was “neither satisfied nor dissatisfied”. One parent commented about the camp, “What a great, interactive and fun opportunity for my son to continue learning about chemistry! Great job everyone! Thanks so much for the hard work and care!” Another parent wrote, “My seven-year-old son was thrilled to have the chance to do “real experiments”, as he called them, rather than just the pen and paper he does at school.” Overall, parents felt that the camp was well organized, a good learning experience, and costeffective (full survey and results are included in the Supporting Information). At UVM, feedback was requested from guardians through email and a paper feedback form sent home with their child. The feedback from parents, K−5th grade participants, and graduate student volunteers was overwhelmingly positive; for example, “We had a great impression of Chem Camp. I think it’s a great way for you grad students to fundraise, and a wonderful opportunity for area kids to get a glimpse into college campus, and an exciting introduction to Chemistry. I feel really lucky that we were able to participate.” Many parents inquired about similar programs in other departments and encouraged organizers to develop such programs. Parents were eager to ask if there would be any other camps during the summer and wanted to make sure they would be included on our mailing list for information on upcoming annual camps. Parents particularly liked the lab notebooks (UVM) and folders (UVA) because it allowed their students to show them what they had learned during the day. One parent wrote that they are “a fan of anything that piques [their child’s] interest in science and chemistry, so I thought it was worthwhile.” C
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Author Contributions
At UVM, a common difficulty expressed by graduate student teachers was that students finished the experiments quickly. However, the teachers were able to improvise and expose students to other practical, but educational, elements of the chemistry lab: the safety shower, eye wash, and even placing a beaker of water on a stir plate with stir bar, were all highly popular “minidemos” that were nevertheless instructive. Our goal is to shorten the lab periods in the next year and to include a sixth experiment.
The authors contributed equally to the preparation of this manuscript. Notes
The authors declare no competing financial interest.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank all participating graduate and undergraduate student volunteers at both UVA and UVM, including the Optics Society of America at UVA for their collaboration. We also thank the Department of Chemistry faculty at UVA and UVM for their support and helpful suggestions, especially Jill Venton (UVA), Dean Harman (UVA), Robert Burnett (UVA), Stevenson Flemer, Jr. (UVM), and Alexander Wurthmann (UVM) as well as Matthias Brewer (UVM) and Rory Waterman (UVM) for commenting on this manuscript.
Future Goals
Both UVA and UVM have several goals for future camps. In cooperation with the Department of Education, a precamp workshop will be offered for graduate students in order to prepare them for designing age-appropriate, inquiry-based science lessons and tips for classroom management. Recruiting efforts in upcoming years will aim to increase diversity among student participants by advertising through a variety of community networks (Boys and Girls Clubs, school counselors, etc.). The addition of camp scholarships through community donations is being explored. A third goal is to reduce barriers to participation of international student volunteers. The cost of background checks for international students is currently prohibitive. Finally, laboratory experiments that require more sophisticated materials and methods will be developed that align with the newly adopted Next Generation Science Standards.22 UVM will also be tracking changes in the level of graduate student participation in national meetings. The department’s goal is to aggressively support students that attend meetings such that our university is represented in the larger chemistry research community, and also to highlight the research that is being undertaken at UVM.
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CONCLUSIONS We have described the organization and experiences of one-day chemistry camps for elementary school students hosted and run by graduate students at two universities. These camps serve as a favorable form of outreach, graduate student professional development, and promotion of chemistry in the community. The examples and subtle changes made in the camp model from both universities show that this program can be easily tailored for a specific institution. The feedback from parents/ guardians and graduate student volunteers has been overwhelmingly positive, indicating that this is a popular and successful endeavor.
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ASSOCIATED CONTENT
S Supporting Information *
Registration forms; flyers; sample student worksheets; results from parent surveys. This material is available via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org.
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REFERENCES
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Authors
*E-mail:
[email protected]. *E-mail:
[email protected]. *E-mail:
[email protected]. Present Address ‡
J.D.H.: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, 0107 Chemistry Building, College Park, MD 20742. D
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