News Releases

Post-SEA Students “Explore the Amazing World of Chemistry” at UWI Chemistry Festivals

For Release Upon Receipt - July 30, 2024

St. Augustine


ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago. July 30, 2024 – The high-stakes national Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) in Trinidad and Tobago focuses on three core subjects, often overshadowing science during the upper primary school years. The three-month post-SEA period, where students typically engage in various activities, provides an ideal opportunity to introduce chemistry and boost scientific literacy before they enter secondary school. 

Seizing this opportunity, The University of the West Indies (The UWI) St. Augustine Campus, in partnership with the American Chemical Society (ACS), hosted three Chemistry Festivals. These events took place at T.M.L Primary School, St. Joseph on June 10th, 2024, El Dorado North Hindu Primary School on June 18th, 2024, and Lucia’s Private School on June 20th, 2024. Targeting 150 post-SEA students across the three schools, the festivals aimed to highlight the value of chemistry in daily life, foster early excitement for the discipline, and inspire future scientific professionals through interactive activities. The Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, organized the events under the direction of Dr. Yomica Powder-George, Lecturer, and Dr. Faisal Mohammed, Research Fellow.

Themed “Beyond the SEA: Exploring the World of Chemistry,” students enthusiastically explored the captivating world of chemistry as scientists for a day. They navigated various stations, dressed in lab coats, safety goggles, and gloves, eagerly anticipating stamps in their “Chemistry Passports” upon completing each of the seven experiments. Each hands-on activity, covering fundamental chemistry concepts, used common everyday materials to engage participants, who were guided by trained volunteers from the Department of Chemistry. The budding young chemists channelled their creativity by making different colours of slime, painting with acids and bases using a universal indicator, and investigating the separation of colours on coffee filters. They also learned about the absorbing properties of diapers, observed the change of state from solid to gas through “dry ice bubbles,” and engaged their senses with the chemical reactions in their self-inflating balloons. To the students' delight, there were two bonus experiments: Lava Lamps and Elephant’s Toothpaste, which highlighted the concepts of density and catalysts, respectively. They were fascinated by the colours of glowsticks and the chemiluminescence reaction when activated.

Each fun-filled day concluded with giveaway bags for each participating student, containing take-home chemistry souvenirs, including ACS pocket periodic table cards and ACS Celebrating Chemistry magazines. These resources highlighted chemistry careers and provided guidance on simple experiments that could be safely performed at home using everyday household materials. Additionally, each school received an ACS Periodic Table of Elements Wall Poster and other educational materials culminating a thoroughly rewarding event of experiential learning.

Feedback from the events was overwhelmingly positive from students and educators, with both expressing a keen desire for future experiences. “I learned so much about how chemistry is all around us. I can’t wait to learn more about chemistry in secondary school,” exclaimed a participant. Teachers praised the festivals for their educational value and engaging format. “The students were completely engrossed and enjoyed every minute of it. The knowledge imparted will certainly go a long way to pique students’ interest in STEM fields and Chemistry in particular, as they enter the secondary school system,” said Mrs. Waheeda Ali-Yatali, Standard 5 Teacher of T.M.L Primary School, St. Joseph. Mr. Ashish Deonarine, Standard 5 teacher of El Dorado North Hindu Primary School, echoed those sentiments, adding that the Chemistry Festival was well structured and organized, with volunteers well-versed in methodology and pedagogical practices.

“Amazing! Fantastic! Mind-blowing!” were a few descriptors used by students and staff for the Chemistry Festival. “It was truly a memorable experience for them,” expressed Mrs. Pauline Newton, Principal of Lucia’s Private School. She noted the energy of the volunteers, who encouraged pupils to engage excitedly in the interactive experiments. “They enjoyed the discussions, new knowledge gained, and most of all, a day in the life of a scientist, which opened the eyes of many to this fascinating world of discovery.”

“The Chemistry Festivals were a resounding success, and it was great to see so many young students excited about chemistry,” said event organizers Drs. Powder-George and Mohammed. “We believe that events like these are crucial for igniting a passion for science at an early age, and the enthusiasm and curiosity we witnessed were truly inspiring.” They underscored that outreach programmes of this nature play a critical role in popularizing science, empowering students to pursue various careers. Critical thinking and the innovative application of science and technology to problem-solving are characteristics of the Ideal Caribbean Person, as articulated by the CARICOM Heads of Government.

“We envisage this earlier-than-usual introduction to chemistry at the upper primary level can provide students with invaluable skills of long-term value and generate a range of holistic benefits.” They extended their gratitude to the ACS for their generous sponsorship, and to all the volunteers and participating schools who contributed to the festivals’ success. It is anticipated that these Chemistry Festivals will encourage future partnerships with corporate sponsors, UWI alumni, and education stakeholders to continue as an annual event with a more expansive reach to a larger number of post-SEA students.

END

Notes to Editor

Photo Captions

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Photo 1: Event Organizers Dr. Yomica Powder-George (far right) and Dr. Faisal Mohammed (far left) pictured with volunteers from the Department of Chemistry, The UWI St. Augustine Campus, with completed ACS Outreach Training Program Certificates in hand.

 

Photo 2: Students from T.M.L Primary School, St. Joseph enjoying their scientific exploration.

 

Photo 3: Students from El Dorado North Hindu Primary School being engaged in the super-absorbing capacity of sodium polyacrylate in diapers.

 

Photo 4: Students at Lucia’s Private School mesmerised by the Sublimation (Dry ice) Bubbles experiment.

 

Photo 5: Students at Lucia’s Private School, guided by student volunteers Sarita Nagassar and Shannon Balkaran, as they prepare for the “Self-Inflating Balloon” Experiment. 

About the American Chemical Society

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analysing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

About The University of the West Indies

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development, residing at the center of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region for over 75 years.

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with nearly 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Global Campus, and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The UWI offers over 1000 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and the wider world.

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the best in the world by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). Since The UWI’s 2018 debut in THE’s rankings, it has performed well in multiple schemes—among them including World University Rankings, Golden Age University Rankings (between 50 and 80 years old), Latin America Rankings, and the Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Well-being; Gender Equality and Climate Action.

Learn more at www.uwi.edu   

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