On November 5th around 100 attendees, including K–12 students, their parents, and educators gathered at the 2023 AIChE Annual Meeting to participate in the K–12 STEM Showcase.
Once the attendees were checked in and properly suited up in personal protective equipment, or PPE, the program started with an introduction from J. Patrick Abulencia, K–12 STEM Showcase Chair and Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Manhattan College. Then Kate the Chemist, a chemist, science entertainer, and professor at The University of Texas, wowed students with her exciting experiments, demonstrating basic concepts of chemistry.
Afterwards, the students interacted with exciting AIChE member-led STEM demos, discussions, and experiments, covering a variety of topics. They then enjoyed lunch with chemical engineering professionals and college students. After lunch the K–12 Competition Awards Ceremony was held to award the winners of the competition.
The day concluded with students cheering on college students competing for the international title in the 25th Annual AIChE Chem-E-Car Competition®️.
Want to learn more about the community and access the STEM modules? Join AIChE’s K–12 community.
Winning Teams
Lesson |
Team |
Award |
| DisSOLVE This! | Washington State University | Second Overall – Professional |
| What Makes Candy Sour? | AIChE Chicago Section | First Overall – Professional |
| Bernoulli’s First Buoyancy | University of Utah | First Overall – Student; First K–2 |
| Mission Dissolution | University of California – Los Angeles | Second Overall – Student; First 3–5 |
| Anodizing Titanium: Creating a Colorful Coating | University of Maryland – Baltimore County | First 9–12 |
| Illuminating Reactive Principles Behind Gel Nail Polish | Mississippi State University | First 6–8 |
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