Students get hands-on with the chemistry of candy

In celebration of National Chemistry Week, the Chemistry Department welcomed more than 40 students, ages 6-12, to campus on Wednesday, Oct. 22, for “Family Mole Night.” The event, host by the College for more than a decade now,  provided hands-on science activities and demonstrations aimed at introducing children to fun and playful ways of learning about science.

This year’s theme, titled “The Sweet Side of Chemistry—Candy,” highlighted activities ranging from “The Chemistry of Chewing Gum,” to “Identifying Sugar vs. Sugar-Free Candies.”

In addition to bringing awareness of chemistry to the local community, the event also gave New Paltz students a chance to lead activities and teach children about the important role of chemistry in everyday life.

“At Family Mole Night, children from the community get a feel for what it’s like to be in a lab as they work closely with undergraduate science majors from the School of Science and Engineering at SUNY New Paltz,” said  Pamela St. John, associate professor and chair (Chemistry). “It gives our students a chance to think about the science behind an experiment and they learn how to present those scientific concepts.”