AACT celebrates 10-year anniversary, reflects on transforming science education

In September 2014, the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT) launched as “the first and only national membership organization by and for K–12 teachers of chemistry.” Its creation came after the American Chemical Society asked what it, as one of the world’s largest scientific societies, could do to transform science education in the US. “Since its inception, AACT has focused on three big goals: developing classroom resources, providing professional development, and increasing networking,” says Adam Boyd, director of AACT. In the past 10 years, AACT has published over 1,100 lesson plans, labs, activities, and demos—all written and developed by chemistry teachers, Boyd says. It has organized over 220 webinars and a large number of on-site workshops. And it has assembled a community of 7,300-plus members from 80 countries. The AACT website, where teachers can access classroom resources and professional development support, has received more than 10 million visits since its