Session: Successful Student Chapters:

The student-led ACS-affiliated Chemistry Club at Colorado State University faced many challenges this year, similar to the rest of the world. Despite these challenges, the chapter was able to continue experiencing chemistry with all ages in a safe environment by creating new ways to engage with the community virtually. Our once in-person club meetings and outreach opportunities soon became virtual experiences, interactive videos, and online events. These events allowed the club to continue fostering a sense of community within chemistry and science while also making these fields more easily accessible to everyone. Our annual Halloween Show is usually the largest outreach event we host as an organization and more than 1000 guests attend annually. This occasion provides creative and educational activities to participate in and learn about chemistry. We felt it necessary, with it being our largest event, to have the Halloween Show in a safe and virtual way to accommodate the children in the community who looked forward to attending each year. To do this, our club created more than 10 “at-home” chemistry videos, which we promoted throughout Fort Collins and local schools so the videos could be distributed to students and encourage continued connection between the city and CSU. As for other gatherings, the club hosted virtual meetings, organized various virtual outreach events, and participated in STEM programs run by other organizations. Though we, similar to many, faced new and difficult challenges this semester, our club continued to provide opportunities to educate the public on chemistry in a fun way and also worked to facilitate community involvement between everyone including students of all grade levels as well as students of all majors within CSU.

Benjamin Reynolds

Appearances