Search

University of Virginia, like many other universities, has developed a chemistry outreach program (called Chemistry Learning through Experimentation, Awareness, and Demonstration; i.e., Chemistry LEAD) that visits K-5 schools and teaches inquiry-based chemistry lessons in order to engage local students with science. Chemistry LEAD is graduate student organized and led. The number of classrooms the group can visit in any year is limited; consequently, to extend their impact, the group decided to organize a summer, 1 day professional workshop for teachers. The goal was to give teachers the knowledge, confidence, and materials necessary to implement inquiry-based chemistry lessons. The graduate students worked as a team, with different students leading different activities, to decrease the burden of workshop planning and implementation. The workshop was repeated for two summers; a total of 52 teachers from six school districts participated. The teachers enjoyed learning from the graduate students, and follow-up surveys revealed they improved their understanding of inquiry and had more confidence in implementing inquiry-based chemistry lessons. Indeed, most teachers implemented at least one of the investigations they learned during the workshop and indicated their students were highly engaged during the activities. Graduate students' reflections indicated that they gained skills in communication, planning, and delegation that will be useful to them in a variety of career paths. These workshops were a manageable way for the graduate student outreach group to increase their impact and improve chemistry education in local K-5 classrooms.