Green Chemistry Outreach

Green Chemistry Day at the MOS

Students studying chemistry at Gordon have the benefit of learning in the premier science facility in the region—amazing labs, state-of-the-art equipment, and a collection of resources not found at other universities. But leaving the confines of lab partners and community within the Ken Olsen Science Center is also a foundational component to the educational experience. Students worked with Beyond Benign to lead a special learning session on green chemistry at the Boston Museum of Science. "Once again Gordon students contributed to a successful running of green chemistry day at the museum. The excitement our students display when telling others about green chemistry is contagious, and this was clearly evident by seeing how they engaged high school students and other visitors in hands-on activities demonstrating green chemistry principles. They truly are green chemistry ambassadors."

Green Chemistry for High School teachers – ACS Meeting in San Francisco

Our own Irvin Levy of Gordon College along with Jennifer King of The Community School organized the High School Teachers Program for the American Chemical Society (ACS) meeting in San Francisco.

This high school program embraced the overarching theme of the San Francisco meeting, Chemistry for a Sustainable World, by introducing high school teachers to green chemistry—that is, the use of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate substances hazardous to human health or the environment.

The Keynote Lecture, Green chemistry: A call to arms, was given by John Warner of the WarnerBabcock Institute for Green Chemistry.

Mary Kirchoff of the American Chemical Society presented: A greener chemistry classroom: Why now? Julie Haack of the University of Oregon showed how the GEMs database can be used as an educational resource. Laura Slocum from the University High School of Indiana, Mary Harris from the John Burroughs School, along with Norbert Pienta, Linda Fanis, and Erica Jacobsen from the Journal of Chemical Education (JChemEd) presented how JChemEd can prepare teachers to Go green for Earth Day. Robert Peoples and Jennifer Young of the ACS Green Chemistry Institute show cased what resources are available to teachers.

The hands-on activities for the participants was organized by Amy Cannon, Rachel Pokrandt, and Brooke Carson of the Beyond Benign Foundation. Dwight Tshudy and Emily Jarvis of Gordon College ran some of the activities.

The whole day topped off with a motivational discussion by James Hutchison of the University of Oregon on Strategies for incorporating green chemistry in your classroom.

High School Teachers Program Flyer (PDF)