Frequently Asked Questions
Don't see your question below? Email: Conference@ChemEd2019.com
Q: Should I attend the 2019 ChemEd conference?
A: Yes
Q: I'm a college professor and I've always heard that ChemEd is for high school teachers, is that true?
A: On the off years of BCCE, this is the place for you! While ChemEd traditionally has a higher ratio of high school educators to college educators; this *is* a conference for both high school and college educators! To contrast BCCE, ChemEd traditionally has programming that is a little more hands-on, workshops that generally do not have a cost, more 'ready to use' lesson sharing. Similar to BCCE, ChemEd has lots of pedagogy conversations in addition to best teaching practices in chemistry. Although every high school might not offer advanced chemistry courses, many ChemEd attendees teach AP/IB Chemistry (equivalent to GenChem at the college level) and/or specialty courses and are excited to engage with college educators!
Q: I teach K-8 and don't have a degree in chemistry, is this conference for me?
A: Yes! We are providing programming for K-8 teachers because you do chemistry too! We understand that K-5 teachers generally don't have a background in science - but we need YOU to instill a passion of science to our future students! Most students start high school with a preconceived notion of being "good" or "bad" at science, END THE STIGMA! Do you teach middle school and have said to your students "You'll need to know this in high school!"? Come engage with teachers of all age students to discuss science education!
Q: Any advice for getting around campus?
A: North Central College is VERY WALKABLE! If you are arriving by car, you will want to park once for the day and walk the campus to get around!
Q: Is the on-campus lodging air conditioned?
A: YES! The dormitories that we will be using are all air-conditioned.
Q: Will food be included with registration?
A: No, meal plans will be available at an additional cost during registration. This plan gets you into Kaufman (K-man) Food Court a buffet style food court.
Q: What if I don't purchase a meal plan, can I still eat at the K-Man food court?
A: No =( Due to the amount of attendees, we will only be able to prepare for those that select the meal plan, please check out the downtown Naperville restaurant options!
Q: What other food options are available that aren't the North Central College Food Court?
A: There are plenty of restaurants in downtown Naperville which is walkable from campus!
Q: Will there be a tweetup?
A: Yes! Since the tweetup isn't an official part of the conference, the tweetup will occur on Tuesday night at a local establishment! Details to come. Follow us @ChemEd2019 on twitter!
Q: What is a tweetup?
A: A tweetup is a meetup of twitter friends!
Q: What's the typical attire of attendees?
A: If you are participating in labs, you do want to follow safety protocols - closed toed shoes, long pants, and safety glasses.
Overall, we dress casually. Some people choose to dress up if they are presenting, but note everyone! NERDY attire is welcomed! (see below)
Q: Where can I buy some #nerdyshirts?
A:
Amazon Neat-o-shop Spreadshirt Think Geek
Busted Tees Periodically Inspired Svaha Woot
Etsy Redbubble Teespring Zazzle
ModCloth Retrolicious Tee Public 6dollarshirts
Thank you @aserkin, @APchemisme, @dragan39 & @puttichem for the suggestions!
Q: Can I cancel my registration?
A: Our cancellation policy is as follows:
Your conference/additional items cost, less a cancellation fee of $50.00, is refunded without question if you cancel by April 15th, 2019. If you choose to cancel your registration anytime between April 16th and June 15th, your conference/additional items cost, less a cancellation fee of $150.00, is refunded without question. After the June 15th, there will be no refund.
Q: Will people talk to me? Who will I eat lunch with?
A: Yes! We are all so nice =) Sometimes people are so excited to see each other because they have been conference friends for YEARS, or they talk constantly on twitter. If you are attending and don't know anyone in advance of going, open with a smile and introduce yourself. Without a doubt you'll have people to talk to, make friends that will make you want to attend every chemistry conference just to hang out with them! As for lunch - this is not the movie Mean Girls. There's only one type of table - the cool chemistry folk, so find a chair and sit down. See someone looking for a place to sit? Invite them to sit down with you!
Q: When can I check in to the dorms?
A: Conference check-in starts at 11am on July 21st - North Central College will do their best to have dorms ready at that time, but is only able to guarantee a 3pm check-in time.
Q: What type of professional development hours will be offered?
A: Proof of professional development will be provided for the times of the conference that you attend. You will be required to sign in and out each day that you would like to receive professional development hours. Our provider only guarantees validity in Illinois, but teachers from other states may use the certificate of proof to try and receive credit in their respective states. A total of 20 hours is available if you attend Monday - Thursday.
If you are a teacher in Illinois, you will be prompted to give your IEIN during registration, please have that handy!