A summer chemistry enrichment experience was developed at Syracuse University for Syracuse City School District high school students who are refugees from Myanmar (Burma), Yemen, Vietnam, and Sudan. The goal was to encourage exploration of chemistry opportunities for a successful transition to college. This talk provides an overview and a model for future adaptation in three phases. Phase 1 (Design Framework): Identify students to participate, and contact their teacher to determine interest. Contact pertinent campus faculty and staff to ensure that resources (monetary, material, and human) are available; this event was supported by the Dean’s Office and Chemistry Department. Consult laboratory safety officials to ensure proper training and regulatory compliance. Phase 2 (Implementation): Finalize the schedule and carry out the event. For this two-week pilot program, activities were as follows: - Safety training; for compliance with regulations and educational benefit. - Welcoming and icebreaking activities. - Experience campus life; including attending events on campus (welcome luncheon, Carrier Dome student orientation, and solar eclipse event). - Lessons in organization, time management, college preparation, and career advice. - Research lab shadowing in the areas of: medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, protein design, inorganic chemistry, and crystallography. - Lectures: Homologous series, redox reactions, intermolecular forces, periodic table trends, competing complexation, and the Beer-Lambert Law. - Alkali Metals in Water demonstration provided an example of redox chemistry. - History of Glass demonstration. - Several hands-on lab activities (in increasing order of complexity): Making a Slimy Toy (hydrogen bonding and cross-linking polymers), Water Hardness Titration, and Determination of the Concentration of a Protein. - Closing demonstrations: Elephant Toothpaste and Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream. Phase 3 (Assessment/Follow-up): Assembled photos, videos, and feedback to promote future events. Maintain student contact, to provide continued mentoring, college application support, and networking with high school science teachers. Adjust program for future iterations.

Syracuse University’s summer chemistry enrichment experience – development of an outreach pilot program

255th National Meeting (2018)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.