Lenawee Chemical Collaborative hosts 'You Be the Chemist' for county middle school students

Brad Heineman, The Daily Telegram
·3 min read

ADRIAN — Middle school students from throughout Lenawee County showcased their knowledge of chemistry Jan. 30 during the annual and regional “You Be the Chemist Challenge,” held on stage of Adrian Public Schools’ Julianne and George Argyros Performing Arts Center.

“You Be the Chemist Challenge” is a free competition developed by the Chemical Education Foundation, a national organization devoted to the education of chemistry, that celebrates chemistry and promotes STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers among students in grades fifth through eighth.

Locally, the challenge is made possible by the Lenawee Intermediate School District (LISD), Lenawee Now and chemical companies within Lenawee County that are associated with the Lenawee Chemical Collaborative.

Middle school students from Adrian Public Schools, Onsted Community Schools and Tecumseh Public Schools recently gathered at Adrian High School's Julianne and George Argyros Performing Arts Center where they competed in the regional and annual "You Be the Chemist" Challenge. It is a free competition developed by the Chemical Education Foundation to celebrate chemistry and promote STEM careers among students in grades fifth-eighth.

Since the fall of 2019, Lenawee County chemical companies have been working together as a collaborative to create a consistent and sustainable talent pipeline for their industry through numerous strategies. One of those strategies has been establishing and supporting "You Be the Chemist" in Lenawee County.

The event saw more than 40 students from three county schools participating in the competition to foster an interest in chemical-related careers, a news release said. Teams answered timed multiple choice and short answer questions related to chemistry concepts, and crafted video responses to propose innovative solutions to real-world problems.

Teams from Adrian Public Schools participated, as did teams from Tecumseh Public Schools and Onsted Community Schools. Adrian’s Springbrook Middle School teams earned the top three positions — first, second and third-place — at the regional competition, the release said.

Liz Hughes, teacher of the eighth grade accelerated science course at Springbrook Middle School, expressed her satisfaction, saying, "’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.”

Hughes 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 winning teams statewide. The top five teams amongst state winners will advance to the National Challenge in Texas this June and compete for scholarships.

At the National Challenge, finalist teams will have the chance to present their research from the video component to a panel of judges. Teams will pitch their start-up company and innovative solutions to the judges where they will expand their knowledge of the business side of the STEM field.

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“Our goal with this event is to increase awareness and excitement for the local career opportunities in the chemistry field,” Mark Kramer, president and CEO of Anderson Development Co. in Adrian, said in the release. “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.”

In addition to Anderson Development Co., Evonik, Wacker, and W2 Fuel, provided sponsorships, planning, support, and volunteers for the event.

"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,” Adrian Superintendent Nate Parker added.

For those who are interested in learning more about the “You Be the Chemist” program, visit chemed.org/programs/challenge.

— Contact reporter Brad Heineman at bheineman@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: twitter.com/LenaweeHeineman.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Lenawee Chemical Collaborative hosts 'You Be the Chemist' Challenge