NCW Celebrates 20 years!

This year marks the 20th anniversary of National Chemistry Week (NCW). The program is designed to reach the public, particularly elementary and secondary school children, with positive messages about chemistry. Thousands of local section volunteers, ACS Student Affiliates, and teachers celebrate NCW annually in their communities and schools.

The theme chosen by the Committee on Community Activities (CCA) for this special anniversary year, “The Many Faces of Chemistry,” features the diverse careers that are possible within the field of chemistry and chemical engineering. The clever name allows ACS local sections, regions, and technical divisions the opportunity to highlight the “faces” and the people/careers behind them. The Office of Community Activities (OCA) encourages groups within ACS to use the opportunity presented by this exciting theme to highlight the outstanding individuals within their local chemical community. This can be done by creating profiles of outstanding members and placing them in future newsletters or on the group’s website. Or, connect with ACS regional meeting planners to highlight one individual from each section within a region during the regional meeting. Other possibilities include creating local “Meg A. Mole” interviews for distribution to area schools, or using a photo editing program (to turn photos into line art) and a talented member to create a coloring book of chemists and/or their careers.

During the 20th Anniversary year of the National Chemistry Week program, the members of the Committee on Community Activities and the Office of Community Activities invite you to join them for the many special events at the ACS Boston National Meeting. Please check the preliminary program (June 25 issue of C&EN) and the on-site program for the following events:

• Sunday, August 19, NCW 20th Anniversary Presidential Event: Chemistry in Action: “Health and Wellness” Community Outreach Event: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Boston Museum of Science. Bring your children and friends to the museum for some fun with chemistry.
  
  
• Sunday, August 19, NCW Anniversary Reception, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Westin Copley Place: This reception will include recognition of NCW coordinators, with special recognition of those active coordinators celebrating a significant milestone (5, 10, or 20 years) of coordinating in 2007.
  
  
• Monday, August 20: 20th Anniversary of National Chemistry Week Symposium, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Seaport Hotel, Plaza B: Hosted by the Division of Chemical Education, the symposium will highlight the history of NCW and include talks by members of CCA as well as other “friends of NCW” including ACS past-President Bill Carroll and demonstrator Bassam Shakhashiri.
  
  
• Tuesday, August 21, CCA Reception/CCA Open Meeting 1:30 - 3:00 p.m: Section leaders and students can learn about plans and resources for NCW 2007.
  
  
• Tuesday, August 21: ChemLuminary Awards with special recognition of the NCW 20th anniversary

We are looking forward to celebrating the 20th anniversary of NCW with you and hope that if you are attending the National Meeting in Boston you will participate in our special events.

For more information please visit chemistry.org/ncw or contact the Office of Community Activities at 800-227-5558, ext. 6097 or via email.

Tracy Halmi
Chair, NCW
Committee on Community Activities

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