When it comes to merging the excitement of chemical engineering with hands-on educational experiences, the AIChE student chapter at Ohio State University (OSU) is leading the charge. OSU is the first university to partner with AIChE’s Bee a ChemE K-12 STEM Ambassador Program, inspiring the next generation of engineers by introducing young students to the dynamic world of chemical engineering.
By offering interactive modules that bring real-world engineering concepts into the classroom, the program seeks to demystify chemical engineering and inspire the next generation of problem-solvers. As part of AIChE’s broader mission to engage younger audiences, Bee a ChemE serves as a vital tool in creating a pipeline of future engineers who are eager to tackle global challenges.
This initiative, organized by the American Insitute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), aims to ignite curiosity and foster a love for science and engineering among K-12 students. In this interview, we catch up with former student chapter president Matt Mileski to explore the student chapter’s journey, motivations, and the rewarding experiences of bringing chemical engineering concepts to life for eager young minds.
Can you share a memorable moment from your K-12 module sessions that had a significant impact on the students?
I think one of the most impactful sessions we have every semester is just the initial meeting with the classes that we are working with. We don’t do an experiment the first week we go to the school, we just go to introduce ourselves, talk about the program, and let the students ask any questions they want.
The most important part is to let the students ask whatever they want. This is important to form a connection with the students, ideally making them want to pay attention more throughout the semester and feel more comfortable asking a question if they’re ever curious about any aspect of the experiment.
How did your student chapter prepare to effectively deliver these modules to younger students, and what skills or strategies have proven most effective?
Depending on the semester, our ambassadors had trainings either every week or every other week covering the experiments that we would be doing for the following week or for two weeks in advance. In these trainings, we not only covered the content we would be presenting, but also talked about the more difficult parts of the lab and how to approach them.
During the experiment, we found it effective to emphasize the difficult parts when going over the procedure ahead of time, speaking to the students like adults, no matter how old they were. In addition to emphasizing the instructions ahead of time, we would emphasize the difficult parts again when actually going through them. We found that speaking to the students in a mature manner helped to safely guide them through all parts of the experiment.
What kind of response did you receive from K-12 students and educators about the modules, and how has this influenced your own career path as a chemical engineer?
Overall, we received extremely positive feedback from both the students and teachers of the classes we worked with. The teachers would give us specific critiques at our request at the end of the semester, and the students would always tell us what their favorite experiment was.
Receiving such positive feedback time after time has made me want to have a career where I am able to volunteer in a similar position. No matter where I end up, I want to continue to encourage the next generation of scientists.
Bee a ChemE at the 2024 AIChE Annual Meeting
The AIChE K-12 Community is now accepting module submissions for the K-12 STEM Showcase and Outreach Competition at the 2024 Annual Meeting. Create a fun and exciting STEM demonstration to show students in the San Diego area the wonders of pursuing a career in a STEM-related field. The deadline to enter is September 9, 2024.
Learn more about the K-12 STEM Outreach Competition and submit your module by September 9th.
Explore the Bee a ChemE K-12 STEM Ambassador Program and how you can get involved.
Help support the Bee a ChemE initiative.
Thank you to Dan & Ellen Coombs, whose generous multi-year gift made it possible to launch AIChE’s Bee a ChemE K-12 STEM Ambassador Program at Ohio State University.