Get involved

Whether you are new to outreach, or an experienced practitioner, the RSC is here to support you to engage difference audiences with the chemical sciences. On this page you can find out more about how to get involved including:

• Workshops and training
• Standing up for Science
• Opportunities in outreach and public engagement
• Activity inspiration
• National Chemical Landmarks

Chemistry Week 2022 - Sustainability

7 - 13 November 2022

Chemistry Week is an annual celebration of the chemical sciences. The theme this year is Sustainability, this is the same as last year as we appreciate that due to the Covid-19 pandemic there may have been schools and communities that felt unable to engage how they would normally.

Our planet faces critical challenges, from the need to find more sustainable resources, to plastics polluting the oceans. The chemical sciences have a role to play in finding solutions to these issues, and to raise awareness of the challenges we and our planet face. During Chemistry Week 2022 the RSC invite you to organise activity to engage with a range of audiences (including schools, institutions, community groups, organisations and more) that reflects the theme of sustainability, including (but not limited to) topics such as:

• critical raw materials
• plastics
• energy storage

Deadlines

Funding is open until Monday 3 October and will be considered monthly in the lead up to this (Monday 4 July, Monday 1 August, Monday 5 September and Monday 3 October).

Get some ideas

Not sure where to start? For inspiration on sustainability activity, check out our Global Experiment, visit our Teach Chemistry pages, or to find out more about some high profile sustainability topics, take a look at the RSC Sustainability pages.

To find out more and to apply please click the link below.

If you have any questions regarding Chemistry Week or maybe want to discuss a project idea, please get in touch using the contact details on this page.

Workshops and Training

To support RSC members with public engagement and outreach activity, the RSC will be teaming up with partners and experts in the field to provide members with opportunities to engage in workshops and training to help develop skills for successful engagement. See below for current opportunities, new ones will be added as and when they are scheduled.

Public Engagement Workshops

A wide range of topics will be covered by these workshops, and sessions will have something for those with any level of previous experience with engagement, from beginners to those with experience looking to develop and refresh their knowledge.

Take a look at our list of scheduled workshops below and keep checking back as more will be added. If you have any questions or even suggestions for topics, please get in touch using the contact details on this page.

Upcoming Workshops

Previous Workshops

Recordings of previous public engagement and outreach workshops and are available to access by all current RSC members through the members area, all you need to do is follow the link below and log in with your membership number and password. See below for details on previous workshops:

• Making the Most of your Engagement - Jamie Gallagher - November 2021

Standing up for Science

Are you in the early stages of your career and interested in learning about how you can communicate with the public, media and policymakers about your work?

We are excited to support the Standing up for Science workshop programme for 2022 to help you make your voice heard in public debates about science.

See below for further 2022 dates and locations.

Opportunities in outreach and public engagement

We know from our Chemistry for All research that it is vital to have a diverse range of passionate role models to support inspiring and enthusing the next generation as well as spreading the word about the pivotal role chemistry plays in solving global problems. The RSC provide a number of ways to get involved, current opportunities include:

RSC Outreach Fund

Our Outreach Fund provides financial support to members, non-members, individuals and organisations in order to enable them to run chemistry-based public and schools engagement activities. Visit the page here to find out more and to see if you are eligible to apply for funding.

STEM Ambassador Programme

Would you like to make a difference to young people, your community and education in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)? STEM Ambassadors make an impact by supporting learning, illuminating careers and raising aspirations. For more information and to sign up, visit the STEM Ambassador website here.

I’m a Scientist – get me into schools

Share your passion for chemistry with school students using I'm a Scientist - an online, student-led STEM enrichment activity that connects school students with scientists through real-time text-based messaging. By applying to be one of the scientists, you'll help to inspire the next generation of chemical scientists as well as developing your online communication skills. For more information and to sign up visit the I'm a scientist website.

“A Scientist Just Like Me” Primary School Resource

Would you like to help raise awareness of diversity in science-based careers for primary aged children? The Primary Science Teaching Trust are designing a new resource comprising of a set of short, illustrated slideshows of a particular scientist or person working in a science-related job. Find out how to take part. Remember to mention you are an RSC member if you get involved.

Volunteer as a Chemistry Tutor with The Access Project

The Access Project is looking for volunteers to support disadvantaged young people aged 14-18, via an easy-to-use dedicated online platform. By volunteering you will help to inspire, motivate and raise aspirations towards further education and the world of work. Visit the Access Project website for more information and to sign up, and don't forget to quote RSC.

Regional RSC Activity

There may be activity taking place in your local area that you could become involved with. To find out if there is anything going on near you, contact your Local Section or Education Coordinator.

Activity Inspiration

The list of activity that can be carried out to engage audiences with the chemical sciences is endless! Whilst this is exciting and allows much room for creativity, it can also be overwhelming, so here are a few resources you can look at as a starting point:

• Teach Chemistry – in our outreach collection, you will find a wide range of activities you can do from chemistry in your shopping basket to chemistry of sunscreens.
• A Future in Chemistry – if you are looking to talk about careers in chemistry, our Future in Chemistry resources are an excellent place to start.
• Case studies - details of previous schools and public engagement outreach projects can be found on the Outreach Fund pages, feel free to use these as inspiration and to help guide your thoughts.
• Sustainability - to link in with the 2021-22 RSC focus on sustainability, there is a wealth of information available on a dedicated webpage to help inspire and support related activity.
• Schools Engagement – if you are looking specifically at engaging with schools, take a look at our Education website for resources.

National Chemical Landmarks

The Chemical Landmarks Scheme is a public engagement initiative raising awareness of sites where individuals, teams and collaborations within the chemistry community have made a significant contribution to health, wealth or quality of life. Find out more about the scheme here.

Not sure where to start?

If you are still not sure where to go from here, don’t worry! Get in touch with us using the details on this page, we would be happy to hear from you and help support you however we can.