The University honored a professor Monday for his work in teaching chemistry to local kindergarten through 12th-grade students.
Charles Stanley, an associate chemistry professor, received the 2005 TIAA-CREF Service-Learning Fellow award, given by the University for a faculty member’s work in service-learning programs — programs that teach students while also serving the community.
Stanley’s service story began in 1997 when he realized he needed an extra credit project to assign to his Chemistry 1201 class.
He had been performing chemistry demonstrations at local schools through the American Chemical Society, which sent chemists to schools for National Chemical Week. The ACS told Stanley that year they had 120 teachers requesting chemists, but only about 20 people who could do the demonstrations.
“A lot of people were too busy,” Stanley said.
So instead of seeking more professors, he made his Chemistry 1201 students an offer.
Stanley offered extra credit to his students if they went to a local school and did a chemistry demonstration.
In the fall of 1997, 229 students visited 110 different classrooms.
“It worked so well, I kept doing it,” Stanley said.
By fall 2004 almost 400 students had participated, visiting more than 200 classrooms. Since the program started 445 students have visited 2,105 classes.
Stanley said the demonstrations help University students who go on to teach, the younger students who are taught and their teachers.
Most local teachers do not have access to the chemicals used in the experiments to perform the demonstrations themselves, Stanley said.
But University students are able to bring the necessary materials and perform the experiment.
There are nine different demonstrations the chemistry department provides supplies for students to be able to perform. Each demonstration takes into account safety and complexity and is assigned to a range of grades.
A common demonstration University students perform is an atmosphere experiment that creates clouds. Stanley said students blow into a clear liquid and have clouds form before their eyes, which they can touch and experience.
Stanley said the hands-on process stimulates conversation and makes learning fun and interactive.
Stanley said chemistry students also benefit from the experience — beyond improving their grade with extra credit.
“They take what they learn, and they get to be teachers,” Stanley said. “It helps students learn.”
Stanley said he knows of four former students who participated in the demonstrations who now are teaching in the area.
“It’s going to be really interesting,” said Adele Zenide, a chemical engineering junior who was preparing to do her first demonstration yesterday. “We have to know the things we learned in class well enough to teach it.”
Stanley keeps a record of the responses he gets from teachers at the schools the students visit.
“Kids and teachers love it,” he said.
He has stacks of positive responses from teachers who were impressed with the demonstrations.
Margie Tallini, a teacher at Duson Elementary School, is one teacher whose appreciation stands out in Stanley’s mind.
Tallini said in a written response to Stanley, “I think it’s great when students share knowledge and talent with elementary children.”