Chemistry is pHun: Year in Review

During the academic year 2019-2020, “Chemistry is pHun” outreach activities benefited from the contributions of many excellent volunteers. The efforts of these volunteers made it possible to present 28 programs that reached 908 school children within 13 different schools or organizations in the Rockwood, Kirkwood, Lindbergh, and Lutheran Missouri Synod school districts. Crestwood Elementary School in the Lindbergh District and Immanuel Lutheran Elementary School in the Lutheran Missouri Synod district were first-timers.

Will Ridley, Coordinator of the “Chemistry is pHun” program, and Dr. Anuradha Vummenthala, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Maryville University, established a partnership where students from Maryville would assist with “States of Matter” presentations to 2nd graders. A very successful March 7, 2019, “States of Matter” program at Stanton Elementary School was featured in a photo-essay Fall 2019 issue of the Maryville Magazine (see here, pp. 23-25).

St. Louis Section outreach participated for the first time in a STEM fair sponsored by STEMSTL Ecosystem in St. Louis as part of National STEM Day, November 2, 2019, at The O’Fallon Park Recreation Center in North St. Louis. “Chemistry is pHun” partnered with Maryville University students Caleb Holaway, Marilyn Vazquez, and Austin Simmons to provide a hands-on chemistry experience titled “Polymers are Marvelous Molecules” for 40 students of all ages.

A new program titled “Transforming Matter” was developed for 5th grade students including a detailed lesson plan, PowerPoint presentation and list of requirements. The transformation of matter was demonstrated by the evolution of carbon dioxide when sodium bicarbonate is mixed with vinegar, the change in color of red cabbage juice when titrated with lemon juice and ammonia cleaning solution and the hydrolysis of starch to glucose by barley and human saliva amylase using iodine indicator. The program was well received by 5th graders at Kellison Elementary School on February 12th.

The contributions of volunteers Andrew Grattendick and Dr. Joe Smith and Maryville University Chemistry students Caleb Holaway, Marilyn Vazquez, Austin Simmons and Morgan Bertolino, are gratefully acknowledged. For more information on volunteer opportunities with “Chemistry is pHun” please contact Will Ridley at ridleywp@att.net or phone 314-920-1507.

Submitted by
Will Ridley
Coordinator for Chemistry is pHun