Members of the Stephenson group, led by third year graduate student John Nguyen, have been designing chemistry
workshops for students as part of the educational outreach component of our National Science Foundation Career award in
conjunction with the BU Upward Bound Math Science program. Upward Bound Math Science is a part of the federally funded
TRIO programs, whose purpose is to prepare low-income and first-generation college bound students for success in higher
education. The goal of Upward Bound Math Science is to help students recognize and develop their potential to excel in math
and science and to encourage them to pursue post-secondary degrees in those subjects. Our evolving three day program
involves introduction to chemical reactivity, polymers, chemilluminescence and photovoltaics, ending with an afternoon
celebration preparing liquid nitrogen ice cream.
We are grateful to the National
Science Foundation
(CHE-1056568) for supporting
these efforts.