A chemical research program at a public high school has been developed. The full-year Advanced Chemical Research class (ACR) in the high school enrolls 20 to 30 seniors each year, engaging them in long-term experimental projects. Through partnerships involving university scientists, ACR high school students have had the opportunity to explore a number of highly sophisticated original research projects. As an example of the quality of experimental work made possible through these high school-university partnerships, this article describes the development of a novel method for the oxidation of ethidium bromide, a mutagen commonly used in molecular biology. Data collected from ACR alumni show that the ACR program is instrumental in encouraging students to pursue careers in scientific fields and in creating life-long problem-solvers.
Keywords: Curriculum; Green Chemistry; Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives; High School/Introductory Chemistry; Inquiry-Based/Discovery Learning; Interdisciplinary/Multidisciplinary; Laboratory Instruction; Oxidation/Reduction; Problem Solving/Decision Making; UV-Vis Spectroscopy.