Many students walk into a general chemistry classroom with a less‑than‑positive attitude. They expect to memorize formulas, solve math problems, and learn concepts that feel disconnected from their lives, their majors, and their future careers. It’s not just students; the general population sees chemistry as distant from everyday life. But is it really?

Part of this disconnect may come from students’ first experiences with chemistry in high school, or from the way we’ve taught general chemistry for more than a century. On the other hand, because chemistry is required for many science‑related graduate programs, we often feel pressured to cover a huge amount of content in a very short time. But when it comes to general education chemistry courses, do we really need to teach them the same way?

As a chemistry educator and someone who enjoys science outreach, one of my goals is to challenge this perception. Rather than presenting chemistry as a collection of facts, I try to explore the field of chemistry with my students through their eyes, based on their majors and interests.

At McPherson College, I teach two general education courses: Principles of Chemistry, and GOB Chemistry for Life. The former focuses on everyday chemistry through the lens of green chemistry and sustainability, while the latter examines how chemistry is used in relation to human health. Both courses use the concept of systems thinking to connect chemistry to each student’s future career goal or their major. I believe understanding relevance is the strongest motivator for learning. The more students recognize chemistry in their own experiences and majors, the more engaged and successful they become.

For example, one way I emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of chemistry is through the topic Periodic Table. We begin the lecture with a brief discussion of how elements are placed on the periodic table then move on to rare elements. Then the discussion shifts to cell phones and modern electronic devices. We identify that about 30 to 60 elements from the periodic table are used to make modern electronics, and among them are rare elements. In the next class period, students are divided into groups based on their majors for a guided activity: they spend 15 to 20 minutes researching a topic tailored to their majors in a group and give a five-minute presentation to the class.

This semester’s topics were: Rare Elements and Stock Market Trends and Rare Elements and International Relations for business majors, Rare Elements and Communication Technology for art/design/ communication majors, Rare Elements and Healthcare Industry for health science/sports studies majors, Rare Elements and AR Technology for automotive restoration majors, and Rare Elements and the Environment for environmental sustainability and education majors.

Through this seemingly simple class activity, the whole class learns not only the relationship between chemistry and their majors, but also about how geopolitics operate — whether investing in rare elements is wise in the long run, the environmental impacts of rare element mining, issues of child labor and corruption and how rare elements are used in medical imaging and more. The beauty of chemistry, as it truly earns its title, the Central Science, is that it connects to our lives in countless ways if we take the time to understand its importance.

Another topic I enjoy discussing in these courses is how chemistry plays an essential role in consumer decision-making. Advertisers often use terms like ‘chemical-free,’ and ‘natural,’ or ‘organic’ without scientific context.  We learn how to critically evaluate these claims for their validity using evidence and chemical principles.

To further strengthen these connections, I incorporate a class project that requires students to investigate the role of chemistry in a specific topic of their choosing. The topic can relate to their majors, hobbies, or personal interests. Students have selected topics ranging from sports nutrition and cosmetics to renewable energy, fuels, and tire manufacturing. These projects allow students to become active participants in their learning rather than passive recipients of information. Often, students discover chemistry in action in places they never expected, and more importantly, they begin to see chemistry as a practical tool for understanding the world around them.

Chemistry is everywhere: everything that we hear, see, smell, taste, and touch involves matter and chemical interactions. Contrary to the popular belief, chemistry is not confined to laboratories and research facilities. It is present in every meal we eat, every medicine we take, every device we use, every cosmetic, cleaning product, clothing item, paint, batteries, plastics, and pet food we purchase, and every environmental issue we face. Chemistry is truly all around us, and understanding this connection helps us better understand our world. My goal is to help students see these connections and become informed citizens who make better, educated decisions in their adult lives.

When many people think of chemistry, they automatically jump to explosions, toxic chemical spills or an industrial accident on the news. What they don’t think about are the medicines that keep us healthy, the immunizations that make us live longer, the materials like plastics and fabrics we use every day, the energy we consume or the crops we grow that give improved yields. All of these are dependent on chemistry and the chemical industry

The reason is obvious: For centuries, the chemical industry caused pollution problems because its focus was maximum production speed and profit, not environmental safety. But chemistry doesn’t have to be that way!

I was first introduced to green chemistry when an email landed in my mailbox inviting me to apply for a workshop on green chemistry education in 2014. Just like many, I had never heard of green chemistry before, but I took a chance and applied. That one-week workshop at the University of Oregon shaped the path of my professional life in a way that I had never imagined.

So, what is green chemistry?

It is the design of chemical processes and products that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. This is not about cleaning up pollution after it happened. It is not about relying on protective equipment to shield workers from harmful chemicals. It is certainly not political. Green chemistry is a mindset — a conscious way of doing chemistry with the environmental impact, economic feasibility, and social equity in mind.

Developed by Paul Anastas and John Warner in 1998, green chemistry operates under the umbrella of 12 foundational principles. Green chemistry education makes the chemist ask, “Should we do this this way?” or “How can we do it better?” rather than “Can we do this?” This mindset encourages critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and innovation, all skills that are essential for addressing the challenges of the 21^st century.

Green Chemistry at McPherson College

McPherson College is proud to be the first college or university in Kansas to sign the Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) with Beyond Benign in 2023. (Beyond Benign is an organization that develops and disseminates green chemistry and sustainable science educational resources that empower educators, students, and the community at large to practice sustainability through chemistry.)

Our long-term goal is that every student who graduates with a degree in biology, biochemistry or chemistry is guaranteed to be knowledgeable of green chemistry and toxicology concepts through the organic chemistry lab curriculum.

So far, we are keeping up our promise and doing more. Our stand-alone Green Chemistry and Introduction to Toxicology courses have become required for our chemistry majors and chemistry for industry track making sure our chemistry graduates have the essential knowledge that is recommended by the American Chemical Society for a chemistry major.

Green chemistry and toxicology education provides students with high-demand job skills as many industries now actively seek graduates who have knowledge of green chemistry, toxicology, and sustainability studies. Systems thinking, a core component of green chemistry education, helps students see how global issues like climate change, sustainable development, economics, and public health are all interconnected, and the central role chemistry plays in it.

The two-year natural science undergraduate research sequence at McPherson College further expands opportunities for interested natural science majors to explore green chemistry concepts further through their research projects.

It is not only our natural science majors who get to experience and explore green chemistry at McPherson College. Through general education courses like Principles of Chemistry and Chemistry for Life, we have expanded the reach of green chemistry education to a wider range of students at the college.

I am grateful for the opportunity I have at McPherson College to share my knowledge, inspiration and values with our students through green chemistry education, and I am planning to expand this specific way of thinking with the wider community through outreach activities and collaborative projects.