SCIENTISTS IN THE SCHOOLS 

Imagine the deep personal satisfaction felt by a scientist who makes a discovery. Such satisfaction is quite independent of other rewards. If young people could experience some of that joy in their school years, they would retain a lifelong appreciation of science and technology. It has been suggested that scientists, engineers and technologists spend one day per month in the schools doing lecture-demonstrations, hands‑on experiments, consultations on student experiments, judging of science fairs, conducting science games, arranging laboratory and plant visits and providing chemical samples, models and literature. National Chemistry Week is a good time to get started. 

The Do‑It‑Yourself Chemistry Project of the Vancouver Section of The Chemical Institute of Canada was a very successful one. The late Dr. Douglas Hayward, FCIC, honorary professor of chemistry at the University of British Columbia visited more than 100 elementary schools and wrote a regular column in community newspapers in British Columbia describing chemical phenomena. The Vancouver Local Section, with financial assistance from Science Culture Canada, the Chemical Education Trust Fund and the Canadian National Committee of IUPAC, produced a kit to assist others in undertaking classroom visits. The kit included a video of a classroom demonstration and a booklet of experiments. Some of these experiments are still available through the NCW website under NCW experiments (http://ncwsnc.cheminst.ca/experiments/grades4_6.htm. 

Contact with the school is often initially made through a teacher or parent but it is wise from the outset to ask that more than one classroom be visited to make the trip worthwhile. This will bring the school principal or administrative officer into the discussion. It is recommended that a letter of invitation from the principal be obtained to formalize your visit since you will be representing your colleagues in the CIC. This also gives you coverage under the school insurance plan. 

The costs involved with local school visits are minimal (transportation, simple equipment) and should be covered by the group organizing the event, the individual scientist, engineer or technologist or his or her employer. Principals receive many offers of visits by people who want to be paid. The fact that visits sponsored by The Institute or one of the Constituent Societies cost the school nothing is very impressive. The sponsorship by the CIC is also important for professional credibility since the visitor is often not a certified teacher. 

School visits should be given maximum publicity by the organizers. When advised of visits a few days in advance, the media have invariably responded with courtesy, kindness and accuracy. A half‑page news release stating the main facts of the visit should be sent to editors and producers. Published pictures of students doing experiments, when posted by the principal on the school bulletin board, give an enormous boost to students, teachers, parents and the community. 

Planning a classroom presentation is similar to making an effective projector slide. The necessary information is laid out and then every possible bit of extraneous matter is removed to give the clearest message possible. Demonstrations should be rehearsed, taking into account every possible variable, and at least an equal number of backup experiments kept in hand. 

The visitor should be 'self‑contained', even have a bottle of water, plastic catch basin and towel in the briefcase. This helps to overcome the idea that chemistry can be done only in a laboratory with special equipment. Aim to need only a table, wastebasket and blackboard to be provided in the classroom.