GEMS for Chemists

GEMs Database (Greener Education Materials for Chemists)

The Greener Education Materials for Chemists database or GEMs is an interactive collection of educational materials focused on green chemistry that is providing a foundation for community-based approaches to curriculum development. It is available to ''build community' and reduce barriers when adopting green chemistry.

Julie Haack, assistant head and senior instructor in the University of Oregon's chemistry department, who first introduced the database in 2005 says "There is a tremendous amount of choice, and the items are much more sophisticated now that a lot of educators have contributed to each item. This is really a new approach to the development of education materials. It is very much a community-based approach and that it is a 'living database' that for the first time corrals and organizes into a repository a wealth of resources supporting the teaching of green principles and strategies across chemical disciplines." More on GEMs can be found in a report from Science Centric or by visiting the GEMs site.

GEMs for Chemists:
A Community-Based Approach to Develop Greener Education Materials

Julie A. Haack
Department of Chemistry
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR

Irvin J. Levy
Departments of Chemistry and Computer Science
Gordon College
Wenham, MA

Excerpts From the Presentation
The Greener Education Materials for Chemists database or GEMs out of the University of Oregon is an interactive collection of educational materials focused on green chemistry that is providing a foundation for community-based approaches to curriculum development.

Green Organic Literacy forum (GOLum) - GOLum III: The Search for GEMs
Students at Gordon College have enthusiastically embraced a transition to green organic chemistry in their curriculum. Recognizing the value of outreach, both for the community served and for those who provide the outreach, teams of students enrolled in the second semester of organic chemistry completed a dozen GOLum projects during the spring semesters of 2004 and 2005. In these student-motivated endeavors to advance green organic literacy, students were required to identify an audience outside of the Division of Natural Sciences at Gordon College with whom they could share information about green chemistry. As a result of these outreach efforts, about 60 students communicated the principles of green chemistry to over 1,000 people in the greater Boston region. Outreach efforts have occurred on the Gordon College campus and in high schools (Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island) and elementary schools, and also at educational workshops, science museums, and national meetings of the American Chemical Society.

The full article can be found online.