Celebrate Science This October: Earth Science Week & National Chemistry Week
October is a month full of opportunities to spark curiosity and deepen students’ connection to science. Two major national observances, Earth Science Week and National Chemistry Week, invite classrooms, families, and communities to celebrate how science shapes our lives and our future.
Earth Science Week: Energy Resources for Our Future (October 12-18, 2025)
Founded by the American Geosciences Institute, Earth Science Week is an annual celebration designed to increase public understanding of Earth sciences and encourage stewardship of our planet. This year’s theme, “Energy Resources for Our Future,” highlights the vital role of energy in our daily lives, from powering transportation to fueling technology.
Students can explore:
- Where our energy comes from and the impacts of fossil fuels, renewables, and emerging technologies.
- Cross-disciplinary connections between science, economics, policy, and sustainability.
- Real-world applications, such as grid reliability, climate resilience, and local energy challenges.
Through hands-on activities, discussions, and local investigations, Earth Science Week empowers students to become informed citizens ready to make choices that support a sustainable and resilient future.
To take these explorations even deeper, Activate Learning’s EarthComm program
provides an inquiry-based approach that connects students to real-world geoscience challenges. EarthComm units align beautifully with Earth Science Week’s goals, encouraging students to think critically about Earth systems, energy use, and sustainability within their own communities.
National Chemistry Week: Chemistry Shapes Our World (October 20-26, 2025)
The following week, classrooms nationwide will shift their focus to chemistry with the American Chemical Society’s National Chemistry Week (NCW). Since 1987, NCW has united communities in celebrating the central role chemistry plays in everyday life. From the air we breathe to the technology we rely on, chemistry impacts every aspect of our quality of life.
This week is all about:
- Engaging students with experiments and demonstrations that reveal chemistry’s presence in our daily routines.
- Connecting science to society by highlighting how chemistry contributes to medicine, food, energy, and materials.
- Inspiring the next generation of scientists by showing the creativity and discovery behind chemical research.
Through NCW events, students discover that chemistry isn’t just a subject in school; it’s the science of the world around them.
Bring this celebration into your classroom with Active Chemistry, a high school curriculum that immerses students in inquiry, experimentation, and problem-solving. Each unit connects chemistry concepts to real-world applications, helping students see how chemistry truly shapes our world.
Bringing It All Together
Both Earth Science Week and National Chemistry Week offer opportunities to highlight how science connects to the real world. Whether it’s thinking critically about energy resources or exploring the role of chemistry in daily life, these observances invite us to spark meaningful conversations and empower students to see themselves as problem solvers, innovators, and caretakers of our shared future.
With programs like EarthComm and Active Chemistry, educators can turn these national STEM celebrations into powerful, year-round learning experiences that bring science to life for every student.
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