Several Department of Chemistry professors, including Professors Chris Vanderwal, Bill Evans, and Rachel Martin, welcomed AP Chemistry high school students for lab tours as part of the LEAPS program. The UC Irvine Physical Sciences’ Laboratory Experiments and Activities in the Physical Sciences (LEAPS) brings K-12 students to UC Irvine so they can see science in action. Students also went on a tour of the UC Irvine Nuclear Reactor Facility with Department of Chemistry Reactor Facility Manager John Keffer.

“The day was extra special because we got to expand and share more in-depth science demonstrations and experiments with these students, who are already learning some of these concepts in their AP class, and so were especially prepared to ask more-informed questions,” said Ash Hormaza, community outreach & external relations coordinator at the School of Physical Sciences. “It was also a great opportunity to form a relationship with a school we haven’t worked with before, and to build a connection with the teachers who led the group – both of whom happen to be UC Irvine Alumni.” 

It was the first time the LEAPS program hosted a high school AP Chemistry class, and it was the first time the program ran a student panel that included School of Physical Sciences undergraduates who answered questions for visiting students about what life is like as a STEM student. 

“I loved the chat with the university students and learning about their lives,” one student later wrote about their visit to campus. 

“I really enjoyed visiting all the labs,” another student wrote. “They were very interesting, and I enjoyed learning about all the science going on behind them.”