National Chemistry Week Set To Begin

National Chemistry Week (NCW), sponsored by the American Chemical Society, will take place Oct. 19–25. This year's theme is "Having a Ball with Chemistry," which looks at how and where chemistry is connected to sports materials, such as shoes, equipment, and clothing, and to the biological factors underlying performance, such as physiology, metabolism, and nutrition.

The annual outreach event unites ACS's 189 local sections with businesses, schools, and individuals around the country to communicate the importance of chemistry to everyday life. More than 10,000 volunteers are expected to participate in educational activities at venues ranging from elementary schools to shopping malls.

"I encourage all of us to be active in the celebration of NCW," ACS President Bruce E. Bursten says. "As practitioners of the chemical sciences, it is important that we help people outside our craft appreciate the positive impact that chemistry has in their daily lives."

On Oct. 25, Bursten will participate in NCW activities sponsored by the New York Section. President-Elect Thomas H. Lane and Immediate Past-President Catherine T. Hunt will also be attending celebratory events during the week.

The ACS Committee on Community Activities sponsors NCW with support from the ACS Office of Community Activities.

The ACS Office of Public Affairs has produced five "Having a Ball with Sports" podcasts, which will be available on the NCW website and the Bytesize Science website, starting on Oct. 20. In addition, several articles from the October 2008 NCW-themed issue of ChemMatters are available for viewing at www.acs.org/chemmatters. The NCW edition of Celebrating Chemistry is also available for download on the NCW website.

The American Chemistry Council is helping to promote NCW by encouraging its member companies to participate in the week's activities.

"Our celebration, coming so closely after the Beijing Olympics, is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the central role of chemistry in our world, as well as providing a positive message from chemists about the importance of health and fitness," Bursten says.

Students in grades K–12 can participate in a poster contest. And the Chemvention Competition challenges student affiliate chapters to develop a hands-on activity that highlights an element in the periodic table, to support the 2009 NCW theme, "Celebrating Chemistry—It's Elemental."