NCW Celebrates the Olympics

The National Chemistry Week 2008 theme is “Having a Ball with Chemistry.” The theme was designed to coordinate with the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

National Chemistry Week (NCW) 2008 will start October 19. If your local section is like mine (Erie), NCW has become “NCS: National Chemistry Semester.” My fall term is filled with planning and attending events from August until November. The commitment by ACS members is one of the reasons why the NCW theme “Having a Ball with Chemistry” was created. This year, NCW was intended to coordinate with the 2008 Summer Olympics being held in Beijing, China, August 8–24. Even though the games are not exactly at the same time, we hope to capitalize on the excitement that the Olympics bring every four years, while creating awareness about the chemistry behind sports.

The question then becomes, what can YOU do with the 2008 theme? It is obvious to us that chemistry has enhanced the understanding of the materials, design, and safety improvements in sporting equipment as well as the safety and health of the athletes. NCW 2008 activities can help make this evident to the public. Hands-on activities might include exploring health-related issues for athletes. Hydration and good nutrition are absolutely essential for the competitors. Activities could provide information on both the positive and negative issues facing athletes today. Another idea is to create your own “Chemistry Olympics” with hands-on activities combined with challenge stations. Children (and adults) could compete to see which individual or group can create the best bouncy ball or air rocket. The ideas are endless.

To celebrate chemistry and the Olympics in the classroom, a poster contest focused on chemistry and sports with an emphasis on chemical principles or concepts in different sports and sporting equipment is available for grades K–12. Schools or groups must send posters via their ACS local section in order to be eligible for national prizes, including $250 cash for each age group. Teachers and organizations can locate their local section chair at the NCW Coordinator Look-up page at www.acs.org/ncw. Complete contest rules will be available by mid-July. Various materials, including the Celebrating Chemistry and ChemMatters magazines for elementary and high school students, will be available free to coordinators. Each issue will have activities and articles related to the Olympics theme. The 2008 community event is a sports equipment collection. We hope local sections will partner with local sporting organizations to collect new or used equipment for community centers, schools, daycare centers, YMCAs, and others.

“Having a Ball with Chemistry” is easy for chemists; we know and love the science. The Committee on Community Activities hopes the NCW 2008 theme will make it easy for you to bring this message to a public already engaged in the Olympic Games. Information about activities and programs will be updated throughout the summer months. Check it out, then join the celebration!

Tracy Halmi, NCW Chair
ACS Committee on Community Activities

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