Celebrating 27 Years of a Chemistry Contest for High School Students at a University in Poland That Promotes Chemistry for Future Study and Career Choices

Abstract

Polish universities offer a number of chemical competitions for high school students. One of oldest is the one organized by the Faculty of Chemistry of the Silesian University of Technology. For 27 years now this annual event has been an important tool for promoting the Faculty of Chemistry and admitting new students. It offers an opportunity to meet and compete with like-minded colleagues from a large part of Poland, and for teachers it is a chance to exchange experience and verify the progress of their pupils. This work describes the competition philosophy, organization, and history.

The Laboratory Skills Contest: An Activity to Improve and Evaluate Students’ Laboratory Practice through the Determination of Water Hardness

“…In recent years, laboratory work and related skills have become the primary tasks of chemistry majors, whether in school or the workplace. − To provide students with the required experimental abilities for laboratory work, many institutions have implemented lab skills training as a requirement for graduation. , Employers in industry and academia will prefer to employ chemistry degree graduates with excellent laboratory skills, thereby shortening the pre-employment training time. , This Journal has also attached great importance to experimental teaching and has included many teaching cases on improving and evaluating students’ laboratory skills. For example, many countries and regions are interested in holding chemistry competitions. − Some countries have a tradition of holding chemical competitions regularly in line with the format of the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO). − The participants are required to use various tools and methods to analyze natural and synthetic materials and perform qualitative and quantitative tests using modern chemical and physicochemical analytical methods. Therefore, participants need to be well-versed in chemistry, must have adequate knowledge of biology and physics, and should be able to act logically and systematically, complying with all sanitary and hygiene requirements and current occupational safety and health standards. − In addition to chemistry competitions, conducting experimental activities is also an effective way to cultivate students’ laboratory practice. − Among them, titration, as a fundamental experimental project, is very effective in improving students’ skills in precise measurement, observation, and data analysis .…”

Offering an Online Chemistry Tournament to Engage High School Students: A 10 Year Experience in Brazil

“…13,14 A common purpose for these contests is to develop students' enthusiasm for science and scout talent. 15 Contests based on written tests ("sit-in exams") customarily are bound to a single day, in which the students answer the proposed tasks based on their previous knowledge. This format, however, ignores the information available on the Internet and does not fully evaluate the student's capacity for self-driven education and desire to go beyond the regular curricula.…”

“…Other events have explored different structures, ranging from laboratory skills, essays, quiz bowls, projects, crystal growth, posters, debates, puzzles, compound naming, and even photography contests . Prizes vary from medals and certificates to cash rewards and college admittance. , A common purpose for these contests is to develop students’ enthusiasm for science and scout talent …”