Adrian, MI – Middle School students from Lenawee County showcased their chemistry knowledge at Adrian High School’s Performing Arts Center at the recent annual regional “You Be the Chemist Challenge.” Hosted by the Lenawee Intermediate School District (LISD), Lenawee Now, and local chemical companies, the event saw more than 40 students from various schools in the county participating in the competition to foster interest in chemical-related careers.
The You Be the Chemist Challenge is a free competition developed by the Chemical Education Foundation, designed to celebrate chemistry and promote STEM careers among students in grades 5-8. This year’s event involved teams answering timed multiple-choice and short-answer questions related to chemistry concepts and crafting video responses to propose innovative solutions to real-world problems.
Teams from Adrian Public Schools, Tecumseh Public Schools, and Onsted Community Schools participated, with teams from Adrian’s Springbrook Middle School earning the top three positions at the regional competition. Liz Hughes, teacher of the 8th-grade accelerated science course at Springbrook, expressed her satisfaction, stating, “You Be The Chemist was an awesome event for our Accelerated Science students! They worked hard on the interactives before the competition and did a great job during it. She also thanked the local organizations, chemical companies, and fellow educators whose efforts made the event possible.
With the scores from the regional competition combined with the video scores, all local teams will now await the determination of state winners. The top five teams amongst state winners will advance to the National Challenge in Texas this summer and compete for scholarships.
“Our goal with this event is to increase awareness and excitement for the local career opportunities in the chemistry field,” said Mark Kramer, President and CEO of Anderson Development Company. “Data shows that 96% of manufactured goods require some form of chemistry, and these students will play a key role in creating better products and a more sustainable future. We are grateful for the collaboration between local schools and companies to better emphasize the importance of science in education.”
Adrian Public Schools Superintendent Nate Parker added, “We are immensely proud of our students’ achievements in the You Be The Chemist Challenge. Events like these highlight their academic abilities and inspire them to pursue careers in STEM fields, which are vital for our future workforce.”
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*media courtesy of Adrian Public Schools*