Due to the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the personal, academic, and social life of students in Costa Rica, the members of the ACS International Student Chapter at Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC) decided to take advantage of their creativity, interest, and the multidisciplinary backgrounds from their members to implement a series of online activities. One of those activities is a weekly virtual event called Café Virtual, which has been taking place since the beginning of the pandemic, where outstanding scientists from around the world interact with students in a friendly atmosphere. Another activity organized by the International Student Chapter at TEC is the Everyday Chemistry: artistic representations of different elements and compounds of interest. Thanks to the virtual spaces promoted by the International Student Chapter at TEC, it has been possible to increase the social media followers, interact with the community, create an international network for the members, and support them during the pandemic time. The authors would like to present the efforts made during the current pandemic to enhance virtual spaces, encourage fascination for science, and raise awareness about mental health, as well as to bring up different experiences that shaped the way on how the International Student Chapter at TEC will proceed in the future.

Accomplishments and lessons learned by the ACS international student chapter at TEC during the COVID-19 pandemic

ACS Spring 2022

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