Chemistry Everyday for Everyone
The Chemistry Outreach Program: Women Undergraduates Presenting Chemistry to Middle School Students Nancy E. Lee* and Kathryn G. Schreiber Department of Chemistry, Simmons College, Boston, MA 02115; *
[email protected] A gender gap in science achievement persists despite efforts at reform (1). Not only do boys continue to outperform girls in math and science tests (1), but girls also tend to choose fewer math and science courses once they reach high school. The result of this is that women comprise only 24% of chemists and natural scientists (2, 3). While no one knows exactly why this gender gap persists, suggestions for improvement have included more hands-on experiments that relate science to everyday life and the involvement of women as role models and mentors in girls’ education (1–7 ). The Outreach Program at Simmons Simmons College, a small women’s college in the heart of Boston, is well suited to promote an outreach program that would increase interest in physical sciences among girls in the inner city. Our outreach program is similar to other schools’ programs (8–10) in which undergraduate science majors travel to local middle schools and conduct chemical demonstrations. However, it is unique in that all our volunteers are female, thus portraying women as enthusiastic participants in the sciences. Thus far, we have visited 13 schools in the Boston area and given approximately 50 demonstrations to more than 1200 students. The set of experiments used for the demonstrations is a variation of the outreach program initiated by MIT graduate students (11–13). General topics include polymer chemistry, acid–base chemistry, temperature, equilibrium, and light chemistry. Specific experiments include making slime and nylon, extracting acid–base indicators from red cabbage, showing the properties of liquid nitrogen and dry ice, making a pickle glow, and carrying out an oscillating reaction. Throughout each experiment, our demonstrators reinforce the scientific process by asking the class for a hypothesis before performing the actual experiment. This forces the class to think through the questions posed by the student demonstrators before the conclusion is reached. Many of the experiments illustrate the practical uses of chemistry and try to show how chemistry functions in our everyday lives. For example, when discussing light chemistry we explain that many laundry detergents contain UV fluorescent compounds to make clothes appear brighter under UV light from the sun. Studies have shown that when science is related to ordinary life and the practical uses of scientific concepts are stressed, girls become motivated to perform well in science (1). Hands-on participation is encouraged by choosing someone from the audience to conduct the experiment. When a classmate takes part in the experiment, the whole class becomes more involved. Student participation gives the demonstrator a chance to interact more closely with the students and particularly to encourage girls to become actively involved in science rather than being overshadowed by the boys.
Benefits of the Program Perhaps one of the most important features of our outreach program is the presence of exclusively women undergraduate demonstrators who provide the middle school girls with role models. We portray women as eager participants in the field of science and try to dispel the fear of going into science. Middle school girls find the women approachable because of the relatively small age difference. The demonstrations help in getting some girls excited not just about science but about further education after high school. Often, girls stay after the demonstrations to ask questions about what college is like, how they can get in, and why they should study more science. Demonstrators come from a variety of science and healthrelated majors and they explain how science prepares them for many possible professions such as research, medicine, pharmacy, or education. The outreach program has been rewarding and educational for Simmons students as well. For many Simmons students, visiting an inner-city school is an eye-opening experience. Many Simmons students come from suburban communities and have not been exposed to the cultural and economic diversity of inner-city schools. Simmons students also learn valuable skills such as speaking in front of a classroom full of strangers, thinking on their feet, and learning to engage the audience. Undergraduates need this training to prepare for giving seminars and interviewing. The program cultivates mentoring relationships among the volunteers. Typically, volunteers are placed on a team which pairs a junior or senior with a sophomore. The peer instruction helps the team learn to work together and create their own style of presentation. After the training workshops are complete, each team gets together several times to practice before going out to a school. Members of some teams develop close friendships, and we often see the upper-class student tutoring or giving advice to her younger partner. The arrangement helps the younger student to feel more at home at the college and gives the upper-class student a chance to serve as a mentor. The relationships often last beyond graduation and provide valuable networks for young woman scientists just beginning their careers. Breaking the gender barrier is difficult for both current and future women scientists, but role models and mentors can provide valuable support and encouragement. By traveling to inner city schools the women of Simmons College serve as role models for young girls by demonstrating that science is an exciting and achievable goal. Perhaps by involving the students in the excitement of chemistry early in their education and by providing role models for the young girls we may be able to encourage more of them to pursue scientific careers.
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 76 No. 7 July 1999 • Journal of Chemical Education
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In the Classroom
Acknowledgment We wish to thank Simmons College for providing the financial support for Chemistry Outreach Program. Literature Cited 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
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7. Kelter, P. B.; Paulson, J. R. J. Chem. Educ. 1988, 65, 1085. 8. Waldman, A. S.; Schechinger, L.; Nowick, J. S. J. Chem. Educ. 1996, 73, 762. 9. Tracy, H. J.; Collins, C.; Langevin, P. J. Chem. Educ. 1995, 72, 1111. 10. Heinze, K. F.; Allen, J. L.; Jacobsen, E. N. J. Chem. Educ. 1995, 72, 167. 11. Nowick, J. S.; Brisbois, R. G. J. Chem. Educ. 1989, 66, 668. 12. Shakhashiri, B. Z. Chemical Demonstrations: A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry; University of Wisconsin Press: Madison, WI, 1983–1992; Vols. 1–4. 13. Aristov, N. SPICE: Guidebook for Traveling Outreach Program; Institute for Chemical Education, University of Wisconsin–Madison: Madison, 1992.
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 76 No. 7 July 1999 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
