By Irene Hsiao 2019 marks the second year graduate students from the University of Chicago Department of Chemistry have partnered with the Chicago Pre-College Science and Engineering Program (ChiS&E) to bring hands-on, activity-based science intensives to students in Chicago Public Schools on four Saturdays in May and June. Initiated by third years Brooke Schuster (Tay lab) and Tessa Lynch-Colameta (Snyder lab), the UChicago program is the first to be taught by graduate students, who independently develop lectures, demonstrations, and experiments in general chemistry, organic chemistry, biotechnology, and medicinal chemistry for twenty eighth-grade students. Highlights have included lab tours and activities such as igniting methane bubbles and making ice cream with liquid nitrogen. 
“It’s rewarding to expose the students to something totally new,” says Lynch-Colameta. “When you see the excitement on their faces, you remember when you first saw something similar. A lot of kids say they want to come to UChicago after—and that they didn’t know they liked chemistry!” 
“We’re always looking for volunteers,” adds Schuster. “On top of learning chemistry, the students get to learn more about life of a graduate student and different STEM-related career avenues in science. Most of our students are only familiar with [the idea of] becoming medical doctors or engineers as science careers, and we become the first STEM graduate students they ever meet!” 
Schuster and Lynch-Colameta hope to expand the program in future years and anticipate the program continuing under rising chemistry graduate students. If you are interested in becoming a lesson volunteer or helping to organize the program in 2020, please contact Brooke Schuster (brookeschuster@uchicago.edu).
2019 VolunteersTessa Lynch-Colameta, Snyder Group (Organizer)Brooke Schuster, Tay Group (Organizer)Elizabeth Kelley, Snyder Group (General Chem)Josie Little, Snyder Group (General Chem)Jonathan Keim, Snyder Group (Orgo)Will Guy, Snyder Group (Orgo)Sarah Greta, Snyder Group, Undergraduate Student (Biotech)Amanda Milkovits, Snyder Group, Undergraduate Student (Biotech)Philipp Gemmel, Snyder Group (Med Chem/Pharma)Carter Stout, Snyder Group, Undergraduate Student (Med Chem/Pharma)Saara-Anne Azizi, Rahul Kathayat, Jeff Dewey, Dickinson Group (Biotech)Brad Studnitzer, Esser-Kahn Group (Biotech)
2018 VolunteersTessa Lynch-Colameta, Snyder Group (Organizer)Brooke Schuster, Tay Group (Organizer)Cooper Taylor, Snyder Group (General Chem)Matt Zajac, Krishnan Group (General Chem)Jonathan Keim, Snyder Group (Orgo)Alexander Rago, Dong Group (Orgo)Carlo Berti, Dong Group (Orgo)Elizabeth Kelley, Snyder Group (Biotech)Philipp Gemmel, Snyder Group (Med Chem/Pharma)Charles Cole, Snyder Group (Med Chem/Pharma)Jeff Dewey, Kaitlin Kentala, Dickinson Group (Biotech)Christian Gomez, Atreyi Bhattacharya, Krysten Jones, Lewis Group (Biotech) 
(Photos courtesy Brooke Schuster)