Local sections participate in Chemists Celebrate Earth Week 2025

On April 20–26, American Chemical Society volunteers from 92 local sections, two international chemical sciences chapters, and several student chapters hosted hands-on activities and demonstrations for the 2025 Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW).

CCEW is an ACS outreach program that promotes the positive role that chemistry plays in the world. This year’s theme was “Glaciers: Hot Topic, Cool Chemistry.” During a week of programs, thousands of members of the public learned about the chemistry of glaciers and why the United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation.

“CCEW 2025 was a resounding success. By raising awareness about these frozen reservoirs, we not only highlighted their beauty but also their critical importance as sources of fresh water and in providing stability for global ecosystems,” says Keith M. Krise, chair of the ACS Committee on Community Activities, which coordinates CCEW in collaboration with the ACS Office of Science Outreach.

Below are some highlights from the CCEW 2025 celebrations:

The California Section conducted a full day of hands-on science for visitors during Earth Day celebrations at the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez. Attendees learned about glaciers, icebergs, sea level rise, and the rate of ice melting in warm versus cold water. Children also made ultraviolet-detecting bracelets and identified plant fragrances.

The Central Utah Local Section held an outreach event for children with hands-on glacier-related activities at a local library. It also organized a seminar on trace metals in glaciers.

The Central Wisconsin Local Section distributed issues of Celebrating Chemistry magazine to University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point (UWSP) students and visitors to the UWSP Museum of Natural History.

The District of Columbia’s Chemical Society of Washington partnered with the Chemistry Department and STEM Education Club of Montgomery College's Rockville, Maryland, campus to host activities for approximately 250 children and their families at Rockville Science Day. Activities included "Cracking of an Ice Core" in which a simulated ice core made of candy, flour, and plastic bugs was used to demonstrate how scientists study the chemistry of glaciers.

The Greater Houston Section ran visual demonstrations and interactive activities related to glacier science at the Health Museum’s Earth Day event.

Student volunteers for the Green Mountain Local Section created a video describing the chemistry behind glacier formation and movement and shared it on social media. The students also hosted interactive activities about glaciers for young children at the Putney Public Library.

The Iraq International Chemical SciencesChapter hosted an event with the theme "Voices for the Planet" in collaboration with the Baghdad Toastmasters club. Environmental activists, college students, and community members engaged in discussions, shared ideas, and emphasized the role of individual and collective action in protecting the planet.

The Mid-Hudson Section hiked the East Mountain Loop and Round Hill Bypass Trail at Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park in New York.

Northern New York Local Section member Dana M. Barry visited local schools and gave demonstrations about melting glaciers using ice cubes and water of various temperatures. She also distributed hundreds of copies of Celebrating Chemistry magazine.

The Omaha Local Section, along with faculty from Creighton University and members of its Chemistry Club, ran a booth at the Nebraska Science Festival Public Expo at the Durham Museum. More than 800 people attended the expo. The volunteers ran a "Cracking of an Ice Core" demonstration and a "Heat Up and Cool Down" experiment that showed how water density changes as water warms. 

The Ouachita Valley Local Section organized a science open house at Southern Arkansas University for 41 high school students and hands-on activities at the University of Louisiana Monroe for approximately 280 middle school students. Volunteers also hosted glacier-themed experiments for children at Ouachita Parish Public Library.

The Penn-York Local Section ran various science activities for elementary school students and distributed Celebrating Chemistry magazines and CCEW stickers to schools.

Texas’s Permian Basin Local Section and the Midland College Student Chapter took a mobile learning experience to Crockett Elementary School STEM Night. Activities included an augmented reality simulation of the butterfly life cycle, virtual reality tours of scenic Earth locations, Earth Day–themed Ozobot robot coding activities, and solar observations. Students from Angelo State University demonstrated experiments using carbon dioxide.

The Pittsburgh Section hosted activities at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy's Earth Month celebration at McKinley Park. Attendees made slime and used it to simulate a glacier moving slowly down an incline. They also observed a demonstration on the density of different liquids.

The Puerto Rico Section held its popular Festival de Química in San Juan and organized a glacier-themed webinar. Volunteers from ACS student chapters and chemistry clubs also led school-based outreach activities throughout the island.

New Jersey’s Princeton Section organized an Earth Day quiz and presentations by the Watershed Institute’s Steve Tuorto and Antarctic Climate Expedition participant Natalie Chung at a local public library. 

The Richland Section ran an activity booth and facilitated a poster session for over 700 community members at the Reach Museum. The section also organized activities in La Grande, Oregon, for 100 children at Island City Elementary School and 75 students at Central Elementary School.

On May 4, the South Florida Section and the Florida International University–Biscayne Bay Campus Student Chapter ran hands-on activities at the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale in conjunction with Star Wars Day celebrations.

The Southern California Section hosted a virtual seminar titled "Tracking Ice Sheet Retreat Using Cosmogenic Nuclides" with Claire Todd, a glacial geologist and professor of geological sciences, on April 24. It was attended by about 100 people, and over 300 people viewed the YouTube recording.

The Southern Nevada Local Section partnered with the Discovery Children’s Museum in Las Vegas to host hands-on experiments for over 100 children. Activities included making sublimation bubbles, investigating clouds, testing water quality, exploring the density of liquids, and considering the cleanup of oil spills.

The Saint Joseph Valley Local Section hosted a booth with glacier-themed activities at the Elkhart Environmental Center’s Earth Day celebration. Approximately 350 people attended this event.

The Tennessee-Virginia Highlands Section helped 65 Girl Scouts explore how glaciers form, the reasons behind their melting, and their significance to Earth's inhabitants. Activities included demonstrating water phases through dance, examining ice properties, and crafting snowflakes to illustrate how snow compacts and recrystallizes during glacial ice formation.

CCEW 2026 will take place April 19–25 with the theme “Into the Woods with Chemistry.” Information on how to get involved can be found at www.acs.org/ccew.

CCEW 2025 national Illustrated Poem Contest winners

As part of Chemists Celebrate Earth Week celebrations, American Chemical Society local sections hold illustrated poem contests for K–12 students in their regions. This year the theme was “Glacier Chemistry,” and 25 local sections submitted winning poems from their local competitions to the national contest. These are the winners of this year’s national competition.

View the winning illustrated poems at https://www.acs.org/education/ccew/plan-an-event/illustrated-poem-contest/winners.html.

Grades K–2

First place: Spencer S., South Florida Section

Second place: Yunde C., Southern Arizona Section

Grades 3–5

First place: Nora L., Binghamton Local Section

Second place: Hrishika S., Orlando Section

Grades 6–8

First place: Hannah C., South Florida Section

Second place: Gabriella C., Maryland Section

Grades 9–12

First place: Maria L., North Jersey Section

Second place: Isabella Q., Binghamton Local Section