Community Outreach

The faculty and students of the Marietta College Department of Chemistry are active in a number of programs on and off the college campus. Many of these programs are designed specifically to encourage grade school and high school students to pursue careers in chemistry or other sciences. The chemistry club is especially active in a number of these programs. Students wishing to take part in any of these community outreach programs are encouraged to contact a member of the chemistry club or a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry.

Dr. Kevin Pate performs a chemical "magic trick" on a student at the
4-H Space Adventure Camp held June 18-20, 2003 at Marietta College.

The following is a representative listing of outreach programs sponsored by or participated in by the Department of Chemistry, including the date(s) for upcoming events. To find out more about the event, click on the program name.

• WOMEN IN THE SCIENCES (WITS) June 15-June 21, 2003 The WITS Summer Science Camp is a week long math and science program which gives highly motivated students, entering grades 5-8, a week of hands-on learning in math and the sciences. Female members of the Department of Chemistry serve as mentors for the students, as well as taking the students to collect water samples at a strip mine and analyzing the samples using chemical techniques

Dr. Debbie Egolf assists WITS students in a water analysis experiment.

Click HERE to see more photos from the 2003 WITS program.

• 4-H SPACE ADVENTURE CAMP June 18-June 20, 2003 4-H space camp is a cooperative venture between the Ohio State University Extension and Marietta College. The three action-packed days take 4-H girls and boys through an exciting adventure in hands-on learning. The faculty of the Department of Chemistry participate in this event by performing an annual "chemistry magic show".

A space camp student helps Dr. Robert Walker perform a chemical demonstration.

Click HERE to see more photos from the 2003 space camp magic show.

• NATIONAL CHEMISTRY WEEK October 17-23, 2004 National Chemistry Week (NCW) is a community-based program sponsored by the American Chemical Society (ACS). This annual event unites ACS local sections, industries, schools, and individuals in communicating the importance of chemistry to our quality of life. The faculty and students of the Department of Chemistry sponsor on- and off-campus activities, including magic shows for area school children, and a demonstration booth for children and adults at the Grand Central Mall in Parkersburg, West Virgina. The theme for 2004 is "Health and Wellness", and the mall demonstration will be performed on October 23.

• CHEMICAL MAGIC SHOWS Dates TBD Students in the chemistry club perform annual magic shows for area school children. In the past, these performances have coincided with National Chemistry Week. Currently, there are plans to increase the number of magic shows offered, as well as to take the shows "on the road". Contact Dr. Kevin Pate for more information.

• SCIENCE OLYMPIAD Spring 2004 Beginning in the spring of 2003, Marietta College has made a committment as a regional host of the Science Olympiad. This is an event that brings area middle and high school students to Marietta College for a one day science competition against other schools. The faculty of the Department of Chemistry serve as event supervisors. For more information, contact Dr. Mike Seale (physics department).

• SCIENCE FAIR April 2, 2005 Marietta College serves as a host site for The Ohio Academy of Science's District Science Day. Students from six counties in the Southeastern Ohio participate in the science fair, with ~20-25% of students advancing to the State Science Fair at The Ohio State University. Marietta College students and faculty participate in the science fair by serving as judges. The faculty in the Department of Chemistry are also responsible for much of the set-up and clean-up before and after the fair. In addition, Dr. Kevin Pate serves as the District 9 science fair director.

• YOUNG ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS FIELD DAYS May 12-13, 2005 The Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) program was developed under the auspices of the Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce as part of a Telesis leadership study in 1992. In 2004, the twelfth annual field day will take place, providing an opportunity for ~1000 seventh and eighth grade students to learn about science. The purpose of the program is to help teach students that science can be fun, as well as to encourage them to pursue a career in science. The faculty of the Department of Chemistry perform various chemical demonstrations for the students.