Frequently Asked Questions

Who is organizing this event?

Cool Chemistry is organized by Women in Science and Engineering – Chemistry at the University of Minnesota. We are a group of female graduate students in the Department of Chemistry. At a recent brainstorming session we identified developing a program to engage girls in chemistry as a priority, and Cool Chemistry is what we came up with. Around the same time, the Donaldson lecturer, Julia Phillips, donated her honorarium to WISE, allowing us to expand the scope of our plans.

Are scholarships available?

Yes. Just let us know if you need one by contacting Lizzie or Jaye at 612-625-9093 or wise.

Why does this program focus specifically on chemistry, rather than other areas of science, math, and technology?

Well, we are a group of graduate students in Chemistry, so we figured we would start with what we know best! We would like to expand it at some point to include other fields. If you have expertise or connections in these areas, please contact us. We hope to make this a huge event someday, where girls can do experiments related to science, math, technology, and engineering.

I am a parent or educator. Can I attend this event?

At this point, the event is only open to girls in grades 7-9. If you are interested in volunteering before, during, or after the event, please contact us and we will gladly put you to work! In the future, we would like to include a parent/educator session with workshops and sessions geared toward their needs and interests.

Why would a teenage girl want to attend Cool Chemistry?

First, it’s going to be tons of fun. Second, the girls will learn about modern issues in chemistry by doing hands-on experiments. Third, middle school and high school is when girls often begin to lose interest in science, because it is perceived as being “too hard” or “not cool.” We want to counter those impressions by providing an environment where girls work together to use the scientific process of questioning, hypothesizing, and experimenting to solve relevant problems. The Cool Chemistry planning committee is in general agreement that workshops like this one along with encouraging mentors and teachers inspired us to study chemistry, and we’d like to provide that for others. Finally, who wouldn’t want to see the awesome demos we’ve got planned for the end of the workshop, and taste the liquid nitrogen ice cream we’ll be making?

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Cool Chemistry:  From Cosmetics to Crime Scenes

A day of interactive science experiments for girls in grades 7 - 9.