Mole Storytelling Jam debuts at BCCE

Abstract

More than 120 people attended the inaugural Mole Storytelling Jam at the 25th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education (BCCE), held July 29–Aug. 2 at the University of Notre Dame. The conference, sponsored by the ACS Division of Chemical Education, is held every two years and provides chemistry educators with opportunities for interacting with colleagues at all levels in formal and informal settings. Maria Gallardo-Williams of North Carolina State University and Holly Walter Kerby of Fusion Science Theater created the storytelling jam session to help chemical educators use storytelling tools to share their knowledge and build community. “We wanted chemical educators to have an opportunity to share what they learned in their classrooms with others in the community,” Kerby says. “Telling stories seemed like an ideal way to do that.” “People will listen to a story and be entertained and learn things at the same time,” Gallardo-Williams says. “These stories were