The American Chemical Society is a self-governed individual membership organization with more than 158,000 members at all degree levels and in all fields of chemistry. The organization provides various opportunities for peer interaction and career development, regardless of professional or scientific interests. The programs and activities conducted by ACS today are the products of a tradition of e
xcellence in meeting member needs that dates from the Society's founding in 1876. The southern Arizona ACS section has about 500 active members in Pima, Pinal, Graham, and Cochise counties. VISION
Community engagement through chemistry
MISSION
We support, inspire and engage all people in our diverse community in meeting the needs of today and tomorrow through chemistry
GOALS (as of August 2023)
Goal 1:
Professional Development: Provide access to tools and resources to meet the professional needs of members. Goal 2:
Education Support: Provide resources to students, educators, and the community to expand understanding of chemistry. Goal 3:
Community Building: Foster engagement through communications, community involvement, and networking. Section Purpose
1) To provide opportunities for members in personal and professional growth and networking while being part of a large organization.
2) To promote chemistry, and its role in society, to the local community and its leaders.
2) To promote the National ACS resources and activities. Audiences
There are three primary audiences (letter code indicates primary goals/activities for each audience):
Section Members - representing a variety of interests and experiences - M
Education - teachers/faculty, students - elementary/middle/high school/college - E
Public - all ages and interests - P
The goals, and activities under each goal, should be considered part of a dynamic list and are used as examples. While the activities are likely to vary over the next 3-5 years, it is likely the six goals would be relatively constant. This list of primary activities provides a framework for program planning, and offers ideas for possible future programs but does not prescribe everything in detail. Create Professional Readiness for Section Membership - M
Career information and support (mentoring, basic information, sharing member wisdom, interview skills, résumé skills), UA Chemistry club financial support, Section member’s speaker’s bureau for college classes. Provide Learning Opportunities for Section Membership - M
Local tours, speakers from ACS and locally, formal or technical discussion opportunities, workshops and short courses, newsletter and web content, recognition/awards, panel discussions, special interest groups such as seniors/women chemists, networking opportunities at all events. Support K-12 Education - E
Science Olympiad, web information for teachers and students, teacher awards, short courses for teachers for professional development credits, make use of SAMEC (Science and Math Education Center) newsletter, chemistry related explanations or vignettes for class, Section member speaker’s bureau. Focus on both teachers and students. Build Collaborative Relationships – M, P
Joint meetings, work with other organizations to inform them and their audiences about our activities, learn about their activities, cosponsor events, share information, and coordinate community activities and Section member interests. Perform Community Outreach – P, E, M
National Chemistry Week, Earth Day, Science Café, meetings focus on chemistry in society, girl/boy scout achievement programs, and special programs for new audiences and news media. Combine discussions of historical “how chemistry works” with recent innovations or approaches and new materials that use chemistry. Discuss how chemistry addresses national problems (e.g., global climate change, hazardous materials, food or water quality, nano-materials, living organisms, energy efficiency and green chemistry). General Section member involvement in community projects such as “adopt a family” (or school, or roadway). Section member’s speaker’s bureau. Continually Improve the Section – P, E, M
Increase volunteer involvement and provide mentorship for volunteers, provide awards and recognition, assess efforts and member interests annually, provide variety of activity options, survey Section members or specific audiences as needed, be willing and flexible at trying new things, plan sufficiently in advance for successful activities using SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-based - see Section Operating Guidelines for further description). Maintain a web site that serves as a chemistry-related portal to provide relevant information to our varied audiences.
