Hello Orlando Section! We would like to bring to your attention to the following two announcements:
Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW): To promote the positive role that chemistry plays in the world, ACS established the Chemists Celebrate Earth Week public awareness campaign. This year, CCEW occurs on April 21–27 with the theme “Get a Charge out of Chemistry”. The Section will participate in Central Florida Earth day at Lake Eola (on April 20th, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM). At this event, we will distribute educational merchandise and hosting activities. Dr. Stephen Smith (FIT, stephensmith@fit.edu) will lead this event. Please contact him if you are interested in volunteering for this event.
Student Travel awards for FAME participation: The Orlando Local Section of the American Chemical Society offers travel awards to students who are in need of financial supplement for their participation in local, regional, and national conferences organized by of the American Chemical Society and its affiliates. At least two students will receive awards of up to $150 for their participation in FAME (Florida Annual Meeting and Exposition). More details about the application procedure can be found on our website.
Please don’t forget to subscribe to our community page, follow our facebook page, and check out our website for updated news, and activities of our local section.
The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is hosting an illustrated poem contest for students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Entries must be sponsored by a local school or community group for verification purposes.
Contest_Deadline:
Sunday, October 29, 2023 at 11:59 PM Eastern
Local Prizes:
One winner will be awarded ($50) for each of the flowing categories: Grades K-2 Grades 3-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12 The teacher who guided the winner will receive a small funding ($100) for classroom supplies.
Winners of the Orlando Section’s Illustrated Poem Contest will advance to the National Illustrated Poem Contest for a chance to be featured on the ACS website and to win prizes!
How to participate:
Write and illustrate a poem using the NCE theme, “The Healing Power of Chemistry.” Your poem must be no more than 40 words and in the following styles to be considered:
Neatness – free of spelling and grammatical errors
Contest rules:
· All poems must be no more than 40 words, and in one of the following styles to be considered: Haiku, Limerick, Ode, ABC poem, Free verse, End rhyme, and Blank verse. · Entries are judged based upon relevance to and incorporation of the NCW theme, word choice and imagery, colorful artwork, adherence to poem style, originality and creativity, and overall presentation. · All entries must be original works without aid from others. Poems may be submitted by hand on an unlined sheet of paper not larger than 11” by 14” or scanned and sent via email. Illustrations may be created using crayons, watercolors, other types of paint, colored pencils, or markers. The illustration may also be electronically created by using a digital painting and drawing app on a computer, tablet, or mobile device. · The text of the poem should be easy to read and may be typed before the hand-drawn or digital illustration is added, or the poem may be written on lined paper, which is cut out and pasted onto the unlined paper with the illustration. · No clipart or unoriginal images can be used. · Only one entry per student will be accepted; all entries must include an entry form. If the illustration is created using a digital painting or drawing app, the name of the program must be included on the entry form. · Acceptance of prizes constitutes consent to use winners’ first name, and entry for editorial, advertising, and publicity purposes. · Do not place participant names on the front of your poem.
Among many other activities for the 2023 Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW), the Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) hosted the 2023 CCEW Illustrated Poem Contest for K-12 students in Central Florida. This year, the theme of the contest is “The Curious Chemistry of Amazing Algae”.
Winner of Grade 3-5 category, by M. P. from Harmony Community School (Osceola County)
Thanks to members of counties’ school boards and the teachers who brought the contest to students’ attention, the contest received many entries from multiple schools.
Results of the local contest
K-2 Category No Winner
Grade 3-5 Category Winner: M. P. Harmony Community School (Osceola County)
Grade 6-8 Category Winner: E. D. Sanford Middle School (Seminole County)
Winner of Grade 6-8 Category, by E. D. from Sanford Middle School (Seminole County)
Grade 9-12 Category No Winner
The winner of each category will receive a certificate and a monetary award of $50. The teacher who guided the winner of each category will receive a school supply funding of $100.
The winner of each category also advances to the national 2023 CCEW Illustrated Poem Contest. The full results of the national contest can be found at ACS website. If you have any comments or questions regarding the local contest, please contact the local section’s coordinator of the contest (Dr. Duy Le, submission@orlandoacs.org).
Celebrating Chemistry is designed to engage and educate children ages 9–12 (Grades 4–6) in the basic principles of chemistry. The publication is available in English and Spanish.
The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is hosting an illustrated poem contest for students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Entries must be sponsored by a local school or community group for verification purposes.
Contest_Deadline:
Sunday, April 30, 2023 at 11:59 PM Eastern
Local Prizes:
One winner will be awarded ($50) for each of the flowing categories: Grades K-2 Grades 3-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12 The teacher who guided the winner will receive a small funding ($100) for classroom supplies.
Winners of the Orlando Section’s Illustrated Poem Contest will advance to the National Illustrated Poem Contest for a chance to be featured on the ACS website and to win prizes!
How to participate:
Write and illustrate a poem using the CCEW theme, “The Curious Chemistry of Amazing Algae.” Your poem must be no more than 40 words and in the following styles to be considered:
Neatness – free of spelling and grammatical errors
Contest rules:
· All poems must be no more than 40 words, and in one of the following styles to be considered: Haiku, Limerick, Ode, ABC poem, Free verse, End rhyme, and Blank verse. · Entries are judged based upon relevance to and incorporation of the NCW theme, word choice and imagery, colorful artwork, adherence to poem style, originality and creativity, and overall presentation. · All entries must be original works without aid from others. Poems may be submitted by hand on an unlined sheet of paper not larger than 11” by 14” or scanned and sent via email. Illustrations may be created using crayons, watercolors, other types of paint, colored pencils, or markers. The illustration may also be electronically created by using a digital painting and drawing app on a computer, tablet, or mobile device. · The text of the poem should be easy to read and may be typed before the hand-drawn or digital illustration is added, or the poem may be written on lined paper, which is cut out and pasted onto the unlined paper with the illustration. · No clipart or unoriginal images can be used. · Only one entry per student will be accepted; all entries must include an entry form. If the illustration is created using a digital painting or drawing app, the name of the program must be included on the entry form. · Acceptance of prizes constitutes consent to use winners’ first name, and entry for editorial, advertising, and publicity purposes.
Winner of Grade K-2 category (Local Contest): Ranvitha Vivek, 1st grader from Heathrow Elementary School (Lake Mary)
Winner of grade 3-5 Category
Winner of Grade 3-5 category (Local Contest): Lakshitha Bhandari, a 4th grader, from Goldsboro Elementary Magnet School (Sanford)
Runner-up of grade 3-5 Category
Runner-up of Grade 3-5 category (Local Contest): Aadhav Kumar, a 3rd grader, from Wilson Elementary School (Sanford)
Runner-up of grade 3-5 Category
Runner-up of Grade 3-5 category (Local Contest): Mackenzie Gordon, a 4th grader, from English Estates Elementary (Fern Park)
Winner of grade 9-12 Category
Winner of Grade 9-12 category (Local Contest): Eric Segrest, a 10th grader, from Lake Highland Prep School (Orlando)
1st Place of grade K-2 Category
1st Place of Grade K-2 category (National Contest): Second Grader, Stonemill Elementary School, Chemical Society of Washington
2nd Place of grade K-2 Category
Second Place of Grade K-2 category (National Contest): Second Grader, Capital Montessori School, Puget Sound Local Section
1st Place of grade 3-5 Category
1st Place of Grade 3-5 category (National Contest): Fifth Grader, Jumoke Academy at the Hartford Conservatory, Connecticut Valley Local Section
2nd Place of grade 3-5 Category
2nd Place of Grade 3-5 category (National Contest): Fifth Grader, Howard Drive Elementary, South Florida Local Section
1st Place of grade 6-8 Category
1st Place of Grade 6-8 category (National Contest): Sixth Grader, Jefferson Middle School, Midland Local Section
2nd Place of grade 6-8 Category
2nd Place of Grade 6-8 category (National Contest): Seventh Grader, The Harker School, Silicon Valley Local Section
1st Place of grade 9-12 Category
1st Place of Grade 9-12 category (National Contest): Eleventh Grader, Calloway County High School, Kentucky Lake Local Section
2nd Place of grade 9-12 Category
2nd Place of Grade 9-12 category (National Contest): Eleventh Grader, PA Leadership Charter School, Pittsburgh Local Section
To promote the positive role that chemistry plays in the world, the American Chemical Society (ACS) established the Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW) public awareness campaign. Among many other activities, the Orlando Section of the ACS hosted 2022 CCEW Illustrated Poem Contest for K-12 students in Central Florida. The theme of the contest is “The Buzz About Bugs: Insect Chemistry.”
The contest received many entries from multiple schools. Thanks to the teachers who brought the contest to students’ attention.
Results of local contest:
Grade K-2 Category Winner: Ranvitha Vivek from Heathrow Elementary School, guided by Amber Mash
Grade 3-5 Category* Winner: Lakshitha Bhandari from Goldsboro Elementary Magnet School, guided by Mary Lynn Hess Runner-up: Aadhav Kumar from Wilson Elementary School, guided by Nicole Chavez Runner-up: Mackenzie Gordon from English Estates Elementary, guided by Kelly Atterbury
Grade 6-8 Category No winner
Grade 9-12 Category Winner: Eric Segrest from Lake Highland Preparatory School, guided by Steve Math
The winner of each category will receive a certificate and a monetary award of $50. The runners-up of Grade 3-5 category will receive a certificate and a monetary award of $25. The teacher who guided the winner of each category and the runners-up of Grade 3-5 category will receive a school supply funding of $100 and $50, respectively.
The winner of each category also advances to the national 2022 CCEW Illustrated Poem Contest. The full results of national contest can be found at ACS Website.
If you have any comments or questions regarding the local contest, please contact the local section’s CCEW coordinator (Dr. Duy Le, duy.le@ucf.edu).
*Because Grade 3-5 category received a large number of high-quality entries, the executive committee of the local section voted to give two tied runner-up awards for this category.
The Orlando Local Section took part in the Central Florida Earthday on April 23th, 2022 at Lake Eola (Downtown Orlando) to celebrate the Earth Week. This effort was led by Dr. Titel Jurca (Assistant Professor at UCF) and volunteers. The overall theme for our display was about “The Buzz About Bugs: Insect Chemistry”. Three posters were designed and used to support our outreach activity. The posters were used to facilitate discussion largely with teenage to adult age range visitors. The topics ranged from general facts/curiosities, specific applications to forensics, and a cross-over with materials chemistry and nanoscience and physics with regards to butterfly wings.
To engage younger children, we curated two activities. One was an arts and crafts station to create “chromatography” butterflies using coffee filters, water, and markers. This activity was very engaging with active participation throughout the day. Our second activity was a microscope set-up, as pictured below, and a collection of pinned insects donated from the University of Central Florida. This activity was perhaps our most popular with children of all ages and even adults often spending 10+ minutes looking at all of the structural features of the insects, learning about chitin, discussing color effects in butterfly wings, etc… Overall, the chromatography butterfly craft and the microscopy portion directly engaged and held a captive audience of over 150+ people throughout the day. Remaining passing engagement, discussion of posters/topics, presence of ACS in the community, and dissemination of pamphlets reached an estimated additional 400+ participants throughout the day.
The Orlando Section will participate in the 17th annual Central Florida Earth Day will happen on Sunday, April 23, 2021 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Lake Eola Park. We are looking for volunteers to coordinate the event.
For years, chemists have been promoting a better world through recyclable plastics, cleaner-burning fuels, phosphate-free detergents, environmental monitoring, and green chemistry initiatives. To promote the positive role that chemistry plays in the world, ACS established the Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW) public awareness campaign. During CCEW, ACS members and chemistry enthusiasts celebrate by coordinating events and communicating the importance of chemistry.
Celebrate CCEW 2022 (April 17–23, 2022) with the theme, “The Buzz About Bugs: Insect Chemistry.”
Celebrating Chemistry is designed to engage and educate children ages 9–12 (Grades 4–6) in the basic principles of chemistry. The publication is available in English and Spanish.
