ChemCamp

Most summers, Bucknell Chemistry offers a multi-day summer program for high school students interested in chemistry. Activities include hands on experiments across a range of chemistry sub-discipline topics. Summer undergraduate researchers help teach the high school students in the laboratory setting.

Halloween Chemistry Show

Each year the chemistry department holds a science-halloween demo show and activities for the local Lewisburg community, entertaining children with color changes, puking pumpkins, and (controlled!) explosions.

During the pandemic summer shutdowns, we held a virtual Backyard Chemistry show as a fundraiser for the Lewisburg Children’s Museum. Link to Facebook Show

Pre-Bucknell Highlights

Stanford Leland Scholars

Along with Jen Schwartz, we co-designed and piloted the educational component for the inaugural class of 33 incoming first-generation STEM students, focused on chemistry fundamentals and presentation skills in a broader context of global environmental and energy challenges. More information available at Leland Scholars

Stanford Chemistry Outreach Program
Co-founder and Co-coordinator, 2009 - 2012

In 2009, in collaboration with Jen Schwartz, we founded a departmental high school outreach program. The program's goal is to brings hands-on guided inquiry lab experiences to local high schools that would otherwise not be possible with the limited equipment and supplies available. These labs are designed to match the California Curriculum Standards and are presented with an emphasis on how these concepts apply in practical world scenarios. Local high school students have the opportunity to engage with graduate students and learn about scientific careers, as well as college experiences as a whole, while participating graduate students gained valuable teaching experience. Our first event was done at American High School in Fremont, CA, in collaboration with teacher Gary Benz.  

Along with fellow graduate student Sarah Sherlock, we continued to coordinate the program, which involved writing guided inquiry labs, coordinating with new schools, organizing graduate student volunteers, and leading the activities on-site. The program continues to successfully expand to multiple local schools and provides a range of laboratory options that can be tailored to a particular curriculum. For more information, and example laboratory activities, see chemoutreach.stanford.edu.