National Chemistry Week
Encyclopedia
National Chemistry Week is an annual event held in the USA to raise public awareness of the importance of chemistry
in everyday life. It is coordinated by the American Chemical Society
(ACS).
National Chemistry Week is a community based program that unites ACS local sections, businesses, schools, and individuals in communicating the importance of chemistry to our quality of life.
National Chemistry Week has won the American Society of Association Executives
' Award for Excellence. More than 10,000 volunteers
and dozens of chemical companies donate their time, creativity, materials and funds for NCW each year, and reach many millions of Americans via print, radio, television, and the internet, as well as in person.
In 1989 the celebration was expanded to a biannual full-week event, and in 1993 National Chemistry Week became an annual celebration.
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
in everyday life. It is coordinated by the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
(ACS).
National Chemistry Week is a community based program that unites ACS local sections, businesses, schools, and individuals in communicating the importance of chemistry to our quality of life.
National Chemistry Week has won the American Society of Association Executives
American Society of Association Executives
The American Society of Association Executives is the membership organization and voice of the association profession. Founded in 1920 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., ASAE now has more than 22,000 association CEOs, staff professionals, industry partners, and consultant members. ASAE...
' Award for Excellence. More than 10,000 volunteers
Volunteering
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be...
and dozens of chemical companies donate their time, creativity, materials and funds for NCW each year, and reach many millions of Americans via print, radio, television, and the internet, as well as in person.
Origins
National Chemistry Day, first celebrated in 1987 by members of the American Chemical Society (ACS), educators and other individual volunteers, was a vision of the former ACS President Dr. George C. Pimentel. His goal was for ACS to hold a simultaneous event nationwide to impress on the public the importance of chemistry in everyday life. The first celebration was kicked off with a parade down the streets in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In 1989 the celebration was expanded to a biannual full-week event, and in 1993 National Chemistry Week became an annual celebration.
Themes
Some past themes for NCW are as follows:| Theme | |
| 1997 | Planet Chemistry |
| 1998 | A World of Color |
| 1999 | A Global Salute to Polymers (International Chemistry Celebration) |
| 2000 | Get Cooking with Chemistry |
| 2001 | Celebrating Chemistry & Art |
| 2002 | Chemistry Keeps Us Clean! |
| 2003 | Earth's Atmosphere Earth's atmosphere The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention , and reducing temperature extremes between day and night... and Beyond |
| 2004 | Health and Wellness |
| 2005 | The Joy of Toys |
| 2006 | Your Home - It's All Built on Chemistry |
| 2007 | The Many Faces of Chemistry |
| 2008 | Having a ball with Chemistry |
| 2009 (Oct 18 - 24) | Chemistry—It’s Elemental! |
| 2010 (Oct 17 - 23) | Behind the Scenes with Chemistry |
| 2011 (Oct 16 - 22) | Chemistry - Our Health, Our Future! |