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By David A. Laviska, Portfolio Manager for Green Chemistry and Sustainability in Education at the ACS Green Chemistry Institute
The conclusion of this year’s American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute (ACS GCI) Summer School on Green Chemistry and Sustainable Energy marked a significant milestone: twenty years since its founding in 2003. Over the last two decades, it has been a privilege for the ACS to offer this fully-funded once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to exceptional graduate students and postdoctoral chemists and engineers.
Open to students from North, South, and Central America and the Caribbean, nearly 1200 students have participated since 2003, representing more than 230 universities in 13 countries. The 2023 Summer School was held July 12-17 at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO, and brought together 62 student participants from 11 countries. While the ACS Summer School has evolved over the years – including moving between various locations (Montevideo, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Mexico City, and Montreal, among others) – the core program goals have remained the same: a commitment to fostering knowledge, collaboration, and leadership in green chemistry and engineering with a strong emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
We are committed to ensuring that all participants leave the program with:
- Increased understanding of the central tenets of Green Chemistry and why it is critical to helping us build a more sustainable future;
- Examples of how Green Chemistry and Sustainability concepts can be integrated into the work of chemists, engineers, and innovators; and
- Confidence to start reimagining every aspect of research, development, teaching, and collaborations to leverage an inclusive, systems-level mindset while tackling global sustainability challenges.
A report that summarizes key details about the 2023 Summer School program (and divulges a few hints about changes we are making in advance of the 2024 program!) was issued in January 2024. We invite you to explore this document for a deeper understanding of the overall Summer School experience and a glimpse of the impact and student response to the ACS GCI Green and Sustainable Chemistry Summer School. Applications for the 2024 program can be submitted here. The extended deadline for applications is 11:59 pm February 2, 2024.