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Education Outreach

Many opportunities exist for Educational Outreach with the Mid-Michigan Section.  Every year volunteers contribute to the following activities.

Local Classroom Science Demonstrations

The Mid-Michigan Sections of the AIChE and the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) team up yearly to promote an interest in science and technology for young students.  AIChE and SPE providing training and resource materials for their members to conduct classroom demonstrations in local area schools. Classroom demonstrations may be conducted during National Engineer's Week and throughout the remainder of the school year.   This one-day experience is an effective and fun way to spread your enthusiasm for science, technology and engineering.  We will also link you with a partner engineer and a teacher, and help you obtain the materials you need to deliver a winning demonstration.

A training session is usually held in January every year. At that time you will have the opportunity to sign up for schools and teachers to contact and identify a partner engineer to work with (if desired).   For more information, contact the Education Outreach Chair. 

Local School Donations

Once a year, an Mid-Michigan Section volunteer committee solicits grant proposals from local science teachers.  The committee, making a difficult decision from among the applicants, awards grant money to several proposal submitters.  For 2004, letters where sent to four area districts and three schools replied with proposals ranging from glassware supplies to DNA analysis kits.   Amy Boxey of Meridian High School and Robert Hanson of Bullock Creek High School each received $250 grants to help them purchase equipment and supplies to enhance high school science classrooms.  Amy will purchase supplies to help her students study how restriction enzymes form recombinant DNA, the basis for genetic engineering, while Robert's donation will help his chemistry students will continue studying the Bullock Creek watershed.  More information on this year's awardees can be found in the newsletter. 

More information concerning the school donations, both as a committee volunteer, or as teach who may wish to submit a prospective grant, please contact the School Donation Chair. 

American Chemical Society Sci-Fest

The Mid-Michigan Section of AIChE yearly seeks volunteers to work at the AIChE booth during the American Chemical Society Sci-Fest, a celebration of National Chemistry Week.  Volunteers  have the opportunity to demonstrate experiments to show how chemical engineering may be applied to solve problems and contribute to society.   The Mid-Michigan Section was one of many groups to participate in SciFest 2005 celebrating the 18th anniversary of National Chemistry Week.  This year, the theme was “The Joy of Toys.” The annual event held at the Delta College Auditorium was sponsored by the Midland Section of the American Chemical Society, Delta College, and the Mid-Michigan Technician Group.  Our newsletter has a review.

If you wish to volunteer for any of these or other activities, please contact our Education Outreach Chair.