The International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC 2011) is a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to humankind. This year will offer a range of interactive, entertaining, and educational activities for all ages. The Year of Chemistry, under the unifying theme “Chemistry — our life, our future”, is intended to reach people all around the world, with public participation at the local, regional, and national level.
Major goals of the IYC 2011 are to increase the public appreciation of chemistry, to encourage interest in chemistry among young people, and to generate enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry.
The JungChemikerForum (JCF, Young Chemists Forum) of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker is organizing several events during the IYC 2011, for example a “balloon competition”. Together with Wiley-VCH and other partners, five different postcard-motifs were produced. These postcards show reactions and materials that have had a large impact on human life and will continue to play an important role, for example, carbon, the Haber-Bosch synthesis, silicon, quinine, and zeolites. “We want to show with simple examples how chemistry advances technology and increases quality of life.”
These postcards are given to people who visit the Balloon events of the Young Chemists Forum around Germany. Participants in these events have the possibility to win science books, sponsored by Wiley-VCH, by writing their names and addresses onto the cards. During a tombola the winning cards are chosen or at other events returned balloons will win. The winners will be informed by the respective local Young Chemists Forum.
The events include activities for participants of all ages and state of knowledge, e.g., chemistry related games are offered for young kids.
Such events have already taken place at some locations in Germany, e.g., in Berlin, Konstanz, Kiel, Stuttgart, Leipzig, and Frankfurt. Others will follow:
- September 24th, 2011 in Regensburg
- September 24th, 2011 in Bochum
- September 24th, 2011 in Dortmund
- October 22nd, 2011 in Erlangen/Nürnberg
Here you can see some pictures taken during the events:
Berlin, May 2011.
Konstanz, May 2011
If you are interested in further information, please visit the website:
Also of interest:
- Introducing the Young Chemists Forum
The Young Chemists Forum of the GDCh represents nearly one-fifth of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) - 14th JCF-Frühjahrssymposium: Young Scientists Conference on Chemistry
- IYC 2011 – more activities
- GDCh (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker; German Chemical Society), Frankfurt, Germany
