Information for Teachers
Spring 2024
Dear Science Educator,
We are happy to announce our 22nd annual Chemagination Competition for high school students, particularly those who have completed or are now taking advanced placement or honors-level chemistry.
As you may know, the Chemagination contest was created by the American Chemical Society (ACS) as an optional educational outreach activity for local sections of the professional society. The Princeton Section of ACS is again sponsoring the competition - Chemagination at Princeton - with endorsement from the Trenton local section.
Our local section competition encourages New Jersey science teachers who want to engage their classroom or after-school science club students in a competition which challenges teams of two to three students to imagine inventions using chemistry that will create breakthroughs in our lives. The format is an asynchronous remote experience, with essays rather than interviews with judges.
The Educator Guidelines, Entry Submission Form, and Student Guidelines will soon be updated at our Section’s website. These materials will answer many of your questions. Entries should be received by the end of May.
Email me at b4chemistry@gmail.com as soon as possible to communicate your school’s intent to participate.
Let’s help our students become the innovators of tomorrow!
Dr. Barbara Ameer
Committee Chair and Chemagination Competition Coordinator, 2011-2024 and Alternate Councilor, Princeton American Chemical Society Local Section
2024 Contest Overview
High school students are asked to imagine that they are living 25 years in the future and have been invited to write an article for ChemMatters, a magazine for high school students that focuses on the role of chemistry in everyday life.
In the article, the team addresses this challenge:
“Describe a recent breakthrough or innovation in chemistry (and/or its applications) that has improved the quality of people’s lives today.”
In addition to the article, students are asked to design a cover for the science magazine that features their article.
The article must be written as if the students are living in the year 2049, looking back at innovations that have occurred since 2024.
Their innovation should fit in one of the following 5 categories:
Alternative Energy Sources
Medicine/Health
Environment
New Materials
Proteins/Protein Chemistry
How to Participate – Guide for Educators
1. Reserve your place in Chemagination by May 6th, 2024.
Communicate your intent to participate to the Chemagination Coordinator.
2. Launch the competition in your school.
Alert other teachers, science club advisors, and students in grades 9-12 to the competition. (The competition offers possibilities for cross-curricular planning with Physics, Biology, Mathematics, Art and English teachers—in some areas students have received a grade in several classes for different aspects of their work on Chemagination.)
Review the rules with the students.
Oversee the formation of teams and selection of categories.
Advise the students as they research their ideas, suggest resources like the ACS website www.acs.org/education and/or contact mentors.
3. Remain in contact with the local section of ACS sponsoring the competition.
You will receive several informative communications from the local Chemagination Coordinator.
We welcome dialogue about the competition.
4. Select the top entries from your school (1 or 2 per category) – 10 maximum.
Evaluate the articles and select a maximum of two articles per category.
Notify students selected that they should prepare their article, cover design and response to essay questions.
5. Have your students’ complete the Online Submission Form before uploading the article and its cover design.
Your students’ form and entry are requested as early as possible, and no later than the first week of June to allow the program to be created and to allow the judges enough time to review
Answers to essay questions can be uploaded separately at the submission site
Each student will receive a certificate of participation by email.
Winners will be announced and awards will be distributed.