Community Outreach: Sharing Chemistry with the Community
Dr. Kenneth Lyle has developed a program of community chemistry education that fires the scientific imagination in students of all ages. His educational demonstrations are visually exciting and informative, explaining complex chemical reactions and effects in terms anyone can grasp, from an excited primary watching the Elephant Toothpaste demo create fantastic shapes out of seemigly nothing to students at Meredith College cheering as they light hydrogen bubble on fire. Dr. Lyle's prgram has become increasingly popular over the last 3 years, resulting in requests from dozens of schools from elementary to colleges and even the formation of his own course on how to share the excitement of chemistry exploration and discovery with Duke's neighboring communities: Chemistry 109.
Contributors:
GlaxoSmithKline made a generous $1500 donation for the whole of academic year 2011-2012.
Biogen has contributed $1500 through the Duke-Durham Partnership to the outreach program.
The Duke Service Learning Department donated $500.
The Powell Family Endowment, through the Office of Academic Affairs, donated $1000 to Chem 109 and the outreach program for Fall 2011 semester.
Demo Photos
Elephant Toothpaste Carbon dioxide bubbles Dr. Lyle is a colorful character
For more exciting demonstrations, click here!
Outreach Events for Academic Year 2011-2012:
October 13, 2011
Kingswood Elementary, Cary NC
"The Essense of Luminescence"
October 15, 2011
NC Museum of Life and Science, Durham, NC
"Our Health, Our Future"
October 19, 2011
Front lawn of French Family Science Center, Duke West Campus
"Fall Science Festival Under the Stars"
October 22, 2011
NC Museum of Life and Science, Durham, NC
"Our Health, Our Future"
November 3, 2011
Club Blvd. Elementary, Durham, NC
Science Day
November 4, 2011
Sandy Ridge Elementary School, Waxhaw, NC
Liquid Nitrogen Activities
November 15, 2011
Forest View Elementary, Durham, NC
Science Night
November 18, 2011
Holt Elementary School, Durham, NC
Liquid Nitrogen Activities
November 19-20, 2011
NC Museum of Life and Science, Durham, NC
Essence of Luminescence
December 2, 2011
Endeavor Charter School, Raleigh, NC
Chemistry of Weather
December 9, 2011
Gravely Hills middle School, Efland, NC
Physical and Chemical Changes
December 10-11, 2011
NC Museum of Life and Science, Durham, NC
Essence of Luminescence
December 12, 2011
Kestrel Heights School, Durham, NC
Concepts of Chemistry
December 16, 2011
Durham Academy, Durham, NC
Physical and Chemical Changes
January 24, 2012
Holly Ridge Middle School, Holly Springs, NC
Science Night
January 28, 2012
2231 French Family Science Center, Duke West Campus
Scientifica
January 30, 2012
Coats Elementary School, Coats NC
States of Matter
February 2, 2012
Githens Middle School, Durham, NC
Science Fair Night
February 6, 2012
B.F. Grady Elementary School, Albertson, NC
Physical and Chemical Changes
February 8, 2012
Mangum Elementary School, Durham, NC
States of Matter
February 13, 2012
Seawell Elementary School, Chapel Hill, NC
States of Matter
February 18, 2012
Marbles Museum, Raleigh, NC
Bubble-ology
February 26, 2012
Triangle Day School, Durham, NC
Science Expo
February 29, 2012
Triangle Day School, Durham, NC
Science Expo
February 26, 2012
Tar River Elementary School, Franklinton, NC
Introduction to Chemistry
February 29, 2012
Triangle Day School,
Durham, NC
Science Expo
March 2, 2012
Tar River Elementary, Franklinton, NC
Introduction to Chemistry
March 7, 2012
1238 French Family Science Center, Duke West Campus
Kestral Heights Chemistry Students' Day on Campus
March 15, 2012
E.K. Powe Elementary, Durham, NC
Science Night
March 19, 2012
Easley Elementary, Durham, NC
Science Night
March 24, 2012
1238 French Family Science Center, Duke West Campus
Polymers
March 30, 2012
Oak Lane Elementary School, Hurdle Mills, NC
Science Day
April 14, 2012
Children's Museum, Rocky Mount, NC
April 20, 2012
NC Science and Engineering Festival, Raleigh NC
April 21, 2012
French Family Science Center, Duke West Campus
Alumni Weekend Science Festival
April 25, 2012
Culbreth Middle School, Carrboro, NC
Chemical Properties and Changes
Ongoing Outreach Programs
Hillandale Elemantary After School Science Club, Durham,NC
3:30-5pm every Monday
This program brings chemistry demonstrations and hands-on activities to a group of 20 upper-elementary aged children on a weekly basis. Each week the activities emphasize a particular chemical concept. In the past topics have included density, combustion, pressure, acid-base theory, and polymers.
NC Museum of Life & Science, Durham, NC
Saturdays at the Museum, 1:30-3:30pm
This program involves the staging of chemistry demonstrations and hands-on activities for elementary aged children and their parents int he science lab of the museum,. Density, combustion, pulymets, acid-base chemistry, and CSI have served as themes for previous presentations.