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Like many experienced chemistry teachers, I often wished I had more time to help students experience the wonder of chemistry beyond balancing equations, solving stoichiometry problems, and working problems through ICE (Initial-Change-Equilibrium) tables. Those topics are essential, but they leave little room for other conversations and experiences that can inspire students to fall in love with the subject.

At my rural public high school, students' schedules are packed with extracurricular obligations. The school offers 14 athletic teams and 10 musical ensembles, and most students are deeply committed to those activities. Families are highly involved through organizations like the Athletic Boosters Club and the Band Parents Association, but we do not have a general parent teacher association.

Without that type of support, it was difficult to readily create opportunities for students to explore chemistry outside the classroom, despite how much I wanted to. I struggled with one question: How could I do that without also creating a great deal of extra work for myself? I did not have the time to build an extracurricular program from scratch, organize events, and recruit students—all without knowing whether I’d even be able to convince any students to participate

Discovering the AACT ChemClub Program

Everything changed when I attended a ChemEd summer conference.

During one conference session, I learned about the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT) ChemClub program, sponsored by the American Chemical Society (ACS). I discovered that ACS had already created a complete framework for starting and maintaining a chemistry club! Their website included everything from bylaws, activity ideas, and meeting themes to service opportunities and organizational resources.

Instead of inventing an extracurricular program myself, I realized I could build on a well-established model.

After returning home, I spoke with my department head about starting a ChemClub. We had previously considered starting a National Science Honor Society chapter but were hampered by the associated costs. As I’d already paid for my AACT membership, joining the AACT ChemClub would be free! So I planned a short, informational meeting with students for the beginning of the next school year.

Getting Started

Five students attended that first meeting. None of them had taken or were currently enrolled in a chemistry class. By the time students take chemistry, their school and club involvement is already solidly planned (sometimes having been so since middle school). Any new club they join would have to be one they initiate on their own so it could feature prominently on a college application.

These first attendees were underclassmen, and they were looking for something different. Their requirements were simple: the club needed to meet during the school day (which our school schedule fortunately allows), no membership fee would be required, and it had to be fun. I brought snacks to the first meeting, which certainly helped, but the students made it clear they would still participate even if refreshments were not available.

We officially chartered our ChemClub. The students elected a president, who happened to be very involved in the school band program but also loved science. Together, the president and club members established membership expectations:

• Attend at least eight of the nine monthly meetings.

• Maintain at least a C average in all science courses.

• Complete ten science-related service hours each year.

Using the sample bylaws provided by ACS, we customized them to fit our school, even eliminating the treasurer position since we were not going to collect dues.

The club was truly student-owned.

Resources That Made the Difference

One of the greatest advantages of registering for ChemClub each year has been the steady stream of resources made available to the club.

In recent years, registering by the summer deadline has qualified clubs to receive a “goodie bag” of ChemClub stickers, lanyards, and other promotional materials that are great to use as door prizes for students. Monthly newsletters provide ready-to-use meeting themes complete with links to demonstrations, laboratory activities, articles, videos, and service ideas. All resources contain appropriate safety protocols for the activities. In my club, the student leaders vet the resources and decide what interests them most.

Over the years, ChemClub has opened doors I never would have anticipated. The ChemClub page maintains a map of schools that have active ChemClubs, making it easy to find nearby clubs if teachers and/or students would like to meet up. Our club enjoyed meeting up with a sister ChemClub in Sylva, North Carolina to have a collaborative meeting

Additionally, through various announcements and give-away periods, we’ve received laboratory safety posters, copies of The Disappearing Spoon, and tie-dye kits to use for outreach activities. Guidance within the ChemClub materials has made it easy for me to arrange virtual discussions with chemistry graduate students, and our club has even hosted visits from our state and federal legislators!

These experiences have helped students see chemistry as something much larger than a single high school course.

Letting Students Lead

The greatest lesson I have learned is that ChemClub works best when students have ownership.

Each new president has shaped the club differently based on the interests of that year's members. My role has also gradually shifted from organizer to facilitator—a transition that was not easy for me. The teacher in me wanted to oversee every detail. Eventually, I realized that my stepping back allowed students to step forward. They demonstrated creativity, leadership, and empathy in ways I never could’ve planned.

Because students drive the agenda, our projects have reflected what matters most to them. They have organized science activities for elementary feeder schools, advocated for youth mental health, explored issues surrounding access to clean water, and promoted energy conservation within our community. Those experiences allowed students to connect chemistry with real-world issues while serving others.

I believe another of our club’s strengths is that membership has never been limited to chemistry students. After the first year, our high school’s chemistry students began joining as well, and now students often join as freshmen and remain active throughout all four years of high school, developing leadership skills along the way.

An Unexpected Impact

One of my favorite moments came from simply overhearing a conversation between two former ChemClub students.

One student explained that she had written her college admissions essay about earning a B in chemistry. It was the lowest grade—and the first B—she had ever received. Instead of discouraging her, that experience changed her perspective.

She wrote in her essay that learning to work through challenges in both chemistry class and ChemClub taught her resilience and motivated her to work harder in every class she took afterward.

As teachers, we often hope our lessons leave a lasting impression. Hearing that conversation reminded me that the most meaningful lessons are not always the ones we intentionally plan.

Final Thoughts

I originally started ChemClub because I wanted students to have more opportunities to experience the joy of chemistry beyond the classroom. What I did not expect was how much it would influence my own teaching.

The monthly resources continue to introduce me to new demonstrations, service ideas, and classroom activities. More importantly, they connect me with a community of chemistry educators who continually inspire me to grow professionally.

ChemClub gave my students a place to explore their interests, discover leadership opportunities, and build lasting friendships centered around science. In the process, it also helped me rediscover the reasons I became a chemistry teacher in the first place.