Dear Local Section Leaders,
ACS Fall 2024 was an incredible success! I had the pleasure to present Outstanding Performance Awards to the Binghamton, Midland, Lehigh Valley, Indiana, St. Louis, and the California local sections at the 26th Annual ChemLuminary Awards in Denver. In addition, I would like to congratulate the New York, Indiana and Puerto Rico local sections on winning the LSAC sponsored Chemluminary Awards.
It was also wonderful to see 17 sections from District V highlight their programs at the Fourth Local Section Showcase at Sci-Mix! District IV local sections get ready, to once again participate at the ACS Spring 2025 in San Diego. We are also excited to be hosting another one of our ACS Local Section Webinar Series on September 18, 2024, at 1:00 PM EST around the topic of National Chemistry Week. I highly encourage you all to register and join as your schedule allows!
Beth Lorsbach,
Chair, Local Section Activities Committee
Local Section DEIR Grant
Unlock up to $3,000 for your local section’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. From speaker series to high school mentoring show how your local section embraces and advances diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect. Apply by September 15, 2024, to spark participation and inclusivity in your area. Please review all grant details here. Let us make a difference in our communities! Learn more and apply now.
Science-Cafe Mini-Grant
The ACS Committee on Local Section Activities is offering $500 mini grants for local sections to host Science Cafes. These grants can help you ignite scientific curiosity in your community and explore pressing questions with a scientific twist. Apply by September 30, 2024, and bring science into your neighborhood!. Let’s foster scientific literacy together! Apply now.
Prepare for NCW and other volunteer opportunities with kids
National Chemistry Week is approaching, so please urge your volunteers to request an ACS Background Check soon. Sterling Volunteers will conduct checks for all adult volunteers at ACS Youth Events in the U.S. This is in line with ACS’s new Youth Protection Policy, which took effect on September 1, 2024.
Visit the webpage, which includes a tutorial video, procedural information, and FAQs, for more information. If you have questions related to the background check process, please reach out to Sterling Volunteers at info@sterlingvolunteers.com. If you have questions about the policy itself, send an email to VolunteerPolicy@acs.org.
Register Now for ACS Program-in-a-Box!
#ACSPIB is back! Celebrating the chemistry of lab imaging and photography as part of National Chemistry Week, the next event will be on Wednesday, October 23rd at 7pm ET. Get a free box of giveaways and other resources to help plan a watch party for the livestream hosted by Kasha Patel (NPR, BBC World, NASA TV) which will feature presentations from lab imaging experts, Q&A, "ChemClash" photography trivia, prizes, and more! Register now!
Coming Soon: eRosters Available in ACS Community Connection
We are pleased to announce that eRosters will soon be available to download in ACS Community Connection. This product enhancement will allow you to access your eRoster files, submit annual reports, report election results all from the convenience of your component group’s dashboard.
Book your next speaker using the ACS Speaker Directory and receive a $200 mini-grant this year! There are over 1,000 speakers and countless topics to choose from. Find your next speaker today at www.acs.org/speaker-directory.
Add Your Local Section Events to the ACS Events Hub
We are pleased to announce that local sections may now post their events on the ACS Events Hub. A sample of local section events may be found here. Want to add your event, please complete this intake form.
Recognize One Outstanding ACS Volunteer of the Year
The Committee on Community Activities (CCA) recognizes the efforts made by members via the annual ACS Outreach Volunteer of the Year program (www.acs.org/voty). If you have an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary outreach volunteer service, we encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. Additionally, CCA will select one section or chapter awardee to be named the Global Outreach Volunteer of the Year. Each section or chapter may recognize one individual annually. Submissions are accepted from October until 5 p.m. ET on December 15, 2024. Please complete the submission form.
*Chairs may allow a designee to submit on their behalf.
ACS Salutes to Excellence Award
This program allows ACS members to underscore outstanding accomplishments, achievements, or service for individuals who have made a positive impact in their local community, via their creation or participation in chemistry outreach events and programs. A local section chair or designee can request up to 5 free plaques to present to any individual or organization it deems worthy of this recognition (cannot be a local section member). Please visit the Salutes to Excellence page for more detailed information. If you have any questions about recognition programs, please feel free to contact outreach@acs.org.
Get Ready for National Chemistry Week, October 20-26!
Every year, National Chemistry Week (NCW) builds awareness of chemistry's positive impact on local, national, and global levels. The NCW theme for 2024 is “Picture Perfect Chemistry.” To celebrate this year, become an official NCW coordinator!
As a coordinator, you can:
- Use campaign art from the Design Toolkit for your events, social media header images, and in your posts.
- Share the NCW 2024 edition of the Celebrating Chemistry Kid's magazine.
- Organize an Illustrated Poem Contest (grades K-12).
Consult your local section chair about becoming a coordinator. Once determined, complete the coordinator survey form. For questions, contact outreach@acs.org.
Designate a 2024 NCW Coordinator
National Chemistry Week (NCW) is the annual celebration of chemistry that illuminates the positive impact chemistry has at local, national, and global levels. The 2024 theme is “Picture Perfect Chemistry.” To celebrate this year become an official NCW coordinator!
As a coordinator, you can:
- Spread the word by adding #NationalChemistryWeek and #ACS_NCW to your posts
- Share the digital NCW 2024 edition of the Celebrating Chemistry Kid's magazine.
- Organize an Illustrated Poem Contest (grades K-12).
To become a coordinator, please consult your Local Section Chair. Once determined, complete the coordinator form here. For questions, contact outreach@acs.org.
Want to learn more about this year’s NCW celebration and activities. Register for the NCW Kickoff Webinar on taking place on September 18th from 1:00 to 2:00 pm ET.
It’s a Great Time to Recruit Students!
The beginning of the Fall semester is a great time to engage with students in your area and introduce them to ACS. Our Recruitment & Engagement Toolkit has several templates and resources specifically developed to help you connect with the next generation of chemists and chemical scientists. This includes recruitment templates for both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a customizable Recruitment Letter for Chemistry Faculty that faculty can send to their students. Help enhance your Section or Division pipeline by inviting the next generation to get involved locally with ACS!
Team USA Brings home Gold and Silver at IChO!
We are thrilled to announce that the four members of Team USA earned 1 silver and 3 gold medals at this year’s International Chemistry Olympiad in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Out of 327 participants, 202 were awarded gold, silver, or bronze medals.
- Anantshri Asthana, John Foster Dulles High School, TX, Greater Houston Local Section, Silver medal,
- Yufei Chen, University High School, CA, Orange County Local Section, Gold medal, ranked third overall,
- Yunyi Ling, Montgomery Blair High School, MD, Chemical Society of Washington, Gold medal,
- Alice Liu, Marquette High School, MO, St. Louis Local Section, Gold medal
This year 84 countries, 5 observer countries, and 8 individual participants competed in the IChO. Congratulations, Team USA! For more information on how you can participate as a coordinator, please visit our website and reach out to usnco@acs.org with any questions that you may have!
Get The Word Out - Share with Your Local Section Members
Sign up for ACS' Speaker Directory!
Looking for a way to connect with speaking events in areas you have expertise in? Interested in building up your speaking resume? ACS' Speaker Directory is designed to connect experts like *you* with speaking opportunities! ACS Local Sections, Technical Divisions, and International Chapters are looking for a diverse range of speakers for in-person, virtual, hybrid, and asynchronous events.
- Gain visibility on a international level
- Share your expertise
- Grow your professional network
Whether you're a seasoned chemist or starting your career, the ACS Speaker Directory is your gateway to connecting with ACS members in need of talented speakers! Learn more and sign up for the ACS Speaker Directory Today!
ACS Petroleum Research Fund Grants Now Accepting Proposals
We are now accepting proposals for the doctoral ACS Petroleum Research Fund grants. These research grant programs are intended as seed money, to enable an investigator to initiate a new research direction. They are designed to support fundamental research in the petroleum field, and development of the next generation of engineers and scientists through advanced scientific education. The proposal submission window closes on September 6!
ACS Science Coaches: Sharing Experience and Enthusiasm!
Support K–12 chemistry education through the Science Coaches program! This is a unique opportunity for teachers to partner with a chemist volunteer like you who can:
- Provide advice on real-world applications of chemistry lessons
- Act as a science role model
- Help develop and enhance lesson plans
- Mentor student research projects
- Support classroom-based experiments
- Assist with chemical storeroom organization and safety
- Sponsor after school science clubs
- And more!
Share your expertise with teachers and inspire the next generation of chemists! Applications close September 9, and you will be notified by October 1. Learn more on the Science Coaches webpage.
ACS Membership Transformation
The ACS Committee on Membership Affairs (MAC) has exciting updates about how they have been working to transform our membership. The MAC Chair, Laura Sremaniak, shares more in her recent Chemical & Engineering News comment. Click Here to Learn More.
Sign up for Personal Career Consulting
Personal Career Consulting is a free program for ACS Standard and Premium Package holders that allows you to arrange a one-on-one appointment and get personalized and tailored-to-your-needs career advice with a certified ACS Career Consultant.
ACS Consultants can help you:
- Improve Your Resume
- Develop a Career Plan
- Conduct a Mock Interview
- LinkedIn Profile Reviews
- General Career Advice