Wide Walls Storytelling in STEM, Molecular Literacy, and Playful Learning - Dr. Colleen Kelley
In this episode, I am thrilled to discuss with Dr. Colleen Kelley — a fantastic science educator, and the creator and founder of Kids’ Chemical Solutions, a comic-book based curriculum designed to make chemistry accessible and exciting for learners of all ages.
Colleen’s journey began with a love for chemistry and research, leading her to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry from Penn State University by the age of 24. Over the past 25 years, she’s been teaching chemistry — currently at the University of Arizona — all the while asking one big question: Why do students think chemistry is so hard?
Her answer? Chemistry is a language — one we’ve never properly taught students to read. From this insight, she coined the term Molecular Literacy and developed creative new frameworks to help students embrace science learning as a whole, and chemistry in particular.
In this episode:
* 🌟 Colleen shares her journey from falling in love with chemistry to becoming a chemistry instructor and launching her own educational content.
* 🧙♀️ She’s reimagining STEM education by challenging outdated narratives and embracing the power of storytelling.
* 🧩 We dive into molecular literacy—what it is, how it can be approached as a universal language, and why it opens the door for children to start learning chemistry at a much younger age.
* 🧠 She introduces four other essential types of literacy that are key to children’s development but often go overlooked.
* 💡 Colleen offers practical tips for educators and parents on how to bring more curiosity and joy into learning—both in the classroom and at home, even when it comes to homework.
Find more about Colleen and her work:
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