Funded Jul 31, 2010At my high school, there is a shortage of qualified chemistry teachers and chemistry laboratory rooms. As a National Board Certified Teacher in science (even though my degrees are in biology), my credential extends to the physical sciences as well. However, I do not have the laboratory facilities to adequately have students perform chemistry experiments. Most experiments require expensive glassware and equipment. That is fine in a chemistry laboratory classroom, but it is limiting in a nonlaboratory setting. There has been a movement to create experiments that demonstrate the ideas that are being studied with minimal equipment and safe chemicals. That is what microchemistry is all about. However, even though the procedure has been established to perform chemistry laboratories in a laboratory without all of the typical glassware, sinks, and electricity, the cost can also be a limiting factor. Thanks to your generosity, however, 120 kids were able to perform several of these types of experiments that they would NOT have been able to do otherwise. My science budget was $200 this year, and most of that money went toward basic safety equipment for the labs (goggles and aprons). Not only were the students able to learn about how aspirin is made from the bark of willow trees, but I also used the parts of the kit that you provided to do other laboratory exercises, including a lab on using red cabbage as a natural acid indicator test. As the state tests are coming soon, I know that having laboratory experiments as a benchmark to recall information is vital in the sciences. Hopefully, this will translate into higher test scores. Regardless, even more important is that the kids will remember the process of actually DOING chemistry. Your help was a big part of this very important result. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Vallejo