Award-Winning Ideas for a Chemists Celebrate Earth Day Celebration

It’s time to think about Earth Day! Did your section participate last year? Looking for ideas?

It’s time to think about Chemists Celebrate Earth Day (CCED)! In 2007, 119 sections named a coordinator who planned at least one activity for their local area. Two of them were honored by the Committee on Community Activities (CCA) for their outstanding efforts and provide examples for the rest of us to follow.

The Illinois Heartland Local Section was honored for “Creative & Innovative Use of the Chemists Celebrate Earth Day Theme.” Jill Rockwood reported that the Illinois Heartland Section organized a booth at the Peoria Park District’s Earth Day event with activities revolving around the year’s recycling theme. As visitors left the Peoria County Recycling booth, they stopped at the section’s booth to learn how science is involved in sorting the materials once they get to the recycling processing center. Three hands-on activities were conducted, and attendees could apply what they learned to sort through household materials and exhibit the feasibility of such techniques at recycling centers. Children and adults also enjoyed making their own recycled paper art to take home.

The Greatest Community Involvement in Chemists Celebrate Earth Day Award went to the Virginia Local Section. Kristine Smetana described their activities: The Virginia Section partnered with the Chemistry Club from John Tyler Community College to put on events at diverse locations, including a science museum, elementary school, and community college.

• At the Science Museum of Virginia, more than 32 hands-on stations were set up for attendees to learn about the Earth around them. These included becoming a paleontologist by “digging” for dinosaur bones; panning for treasures such as “fool’s gold,” gemstones, and shark teeth; looking at and breaking open geodes; and learning about how to reduce, reuse, and recycle!
• The elementary school event also had hands-on stations, but on a smaller scale and with a different twist. Here, the fifth grade students provided mentoring for the pre-K and kindergarten classes by presenting demonstrations and helping younger children perform the hands-on activities.
• At John Tyler Community College, students in the chemistry club focused on recycling. Students, faculty, and staff were invited to participate in various activities, including bowling with trash and playing foosball, pinball, and checkers—all with recycled materials! Members of the college community also took a pledge to do at least three things on a checklist to help the environment. Club members handed out seed packets and information supplied by ACS on recycling.

Although their CCED activities were very different, these two local sections did have one element in common. By effectively partnering with other groups and events, they brought the message of CCED to a much wider audience. Congratulations to all!

Paula Fox
Chair, Subcommittee on Volunteer Engagement & Recognition
ACS Committee on Community Activities

Anne Taylor
CCA Newsletter Editor
ACS Committee on Community Activities

Back to Top Return to Newsletter