About the Program
The Outreach Training Program (OTP) is designed to help ACS members passionate about science outreach host effective events and take full advantage of Society resources. OTP material was developed using ACS resources, the experience of our volunteers, and content from the ACS Leadership Development System. This OTP on-demand course will consist of seven live webinars that will be recorded for later reference. Participants who complete all 7 webinars and their associated post-course assessments and surveys will earn a certificate. Enrollment will provide access to a Slack community for discussion with fellow volunteers. More information can be found at: www.acs.org/otp.


The program is offered to you by the Office of Science Outreach in the ACS Education Division. Questions? Contact us at outreach@acs.org.

For permission to reuse content from the Education Division, please contact Outreach@acs.org.

  • Students interested in science outreach
  • Professionals interested in science outreach
  • Interested volunteers living inside the U.S.
  • Interested volunteers living outside the U.S.

Program Goal: Using live online instruction, provide outreach training and instruction so that participants can effectively and efficiently plan hands-on science events.

Program Competency: Participants will learn how to coordinate and improve outreach efforts.

Program Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

  • Identify ACS resources for outreach activities.
  • Deploy new planning, communicating, and analyzing skills to improve outreach efforts.

Program Outline:

  1. Outreach Programs Overview
  2. Event Planning and Fundraising
  3. Leading Volunteers
  4. Marketing and Partnerships
  5. Monitoring and Sustaining Success
  6. Communicating through Hands-on Activities
  7. Safety in Outreach Settings

Dr. Ingrid Montes, ACS Director-at-Large and Chemistry Professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras

Dr. Csaba Janáky, Member of the ACS Committee on International Activities and Associate Professor at the University of Szeged, Hungary

Dr. Andrea Goldson-Barnaby, ACS Student Chapter Faculty Advisor and Lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica

Dr. Yehya El Sayed, ACS Student Chapter Faculty Advisor and Associate Professor at the American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Dr. Mah Siau Hui, Member of the ACS Malaysia International Chapter and Senior Lecturer at Taylor’s University

Dr. An-Phong Le, Member of the ACS Committee on Community Activities and Associate Professor at Florida Southern College, USA.

Dr. Matthew Mio, Subcommittee Chair of the ACS Society Committee on Education and Chair and Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Detroit Mercy, USA.

OTP Part 1 - Outreach Programs Overview

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this unit, participants will be able to:
  • Explain how local outreach efforts fit into organizational and global goals.
  • Identify relevant volunteer opportunities.
  • Select resources to incorporate into planning for future events.
  • Describe the context of the ACS Outreach Training Program.

Agenda:

  1. About ACS
  2. Outreach Campaigns
  3. Event Resources
  4. Volunteer Recognition
  5. Outreach Training


OTP Part 2 - Event Planning and Fundraising

Learning Objectives

At the end of this unit, participants will be able to:

  • Recognize necessary items to prepare a materials list for outreach events.
  • Identify funding sources and methods to build resources for future outreach events.
  • Assign dates to tasks to follow an event planning timeline and use run-of-show to ensure successful outreach events.

Agenda
  1. Science outreach event costs
  2. Event fundraising
  3. Before your event: planning timeline
  4. During your event: day-of considerations
  5. After your event: recognizing volunteers

OTP Part 3 - Leading Volunteers

Learning Objectives

At the end of this unit, participants will be able to:

  • Identify specifications for planning group members and facilitators to ensure successful recruitment and a positive volunteer experience.
  • Utilize ACS resources that support organizing and recognizing volunteers
  • Classify the different steps of the Volunteer Engagement and Motivation model
  • Apply the Volunteer Engagement and Motivation model to future outreach events

Agenda
  1. Engagement and Motivation Model
  2. Scoping responsibilities
  3. Recruiting the right volunteers
  4. Promoting a satisfying experience
  5. Fostering long-term commitment

OTP Part 4 - Marketing and Partnerships

Learning Objectives

At the end of this unit, participants will be able to:

  • Determine essential elements of an effective message.
  • Recall steps for taking high quality photos for use in reporting and marketing efforts.
  • Identify important processes of partnership building to ensure the success of future outreach events.
  • Compare various marketing channels.

Agenda
  1. Preparing your message
  2. Adjusting across channels
  3. Building partnerships

OTP Part 5 - Monitoring and Sustaining Success

Learning Objectives

At the end of this unit, participants will be able to:

  • Adapt surveys to measure event satisfaction and training to improve data collection processes.
  • Plan short- and long-term solutions to outreach-specific problems to ensure future event success.
  • List the basic principles of strategic and succession planning.

Agenda

  1. Why Bother?
  2. Participant Feedback
  3. Volunteer Feedback
  4. Strategic Planning
  5. Succession Planning
  6. Potential Problems

OTP Part 6 - Communicating through Hands-on Activities

Learning Objectives

At the end of this unit, participants will be able to:

  • Identify how the Let’s Do Chemistry (LDC) framework helps determine appropriate content and strategies to increase effectiveness of hands-on activities.
  • Compose age-appropriate explanations of a hands-on activity that build meaning across different groups.
  • Practice LDC techniques to increase effectiveness of the facilitation of hands-on activities.
Agenda
  1. Defining Your Goals
  2. Activity Design and Selection
  3. Facilitation
  4. Audience Specific Advice
  5. Other Event Communication

OTP Part 7 - Safety in Outreach Settings

Learning Objectives

At the end of this unit, participants will be able to:

  • Explain why safety is important.
  • Discuss safety needs with a facility before hosting an event
  • Perform a RAMP analysis to identify risks and consider modifications to hands-on activities
  • Apply these principles and newly developed resources to your outreach events.
Agenda
  1. Reasons for Safety
  2. Plan with the Facility
  3. RAMP Framework
  4. RAMP in Practice
  5. Share Safety

OTP Conclusion - Program Evaluation and Certificate

Once you have completed Parts 1-7, you will receive a key to enroll in Part 8 where you must complete the program evaluation to gain access to your custom certificate of completion.