All Scout Nano Day - International Institute for Nanotechnology

The IIN hosted the inaugural All Scout Nano Day in 2003, and the tradition continues to this day. Over 1,600 Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Venturing Crew members have visited the Northwestern campus to learn about nanotechnology. The program was conceived by Michael Kleppinger, Northrup Grumman engineer and assistant scoutmaster, and established with the help of Prof. Richard Van Duyne, a former Eagle Scout and a Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern from 1971-2019.

All Scout Nano Day includes presentations by graduate students and professors on “What is Nanotechnology?” and “Being a Scientist”, demonstrations of high-end laboratory equipment, and hands-on activities that illustrate nanoscience concepts. It also includes an informational session for parents on how to encourage and support their children’s interest in science and engineering.

Each troop is invited to present a poster (prepared in advance) on a nanotechnology concept or discovery. A team of graduate student reviews the posters for content and creativity. The day concludes with a pizza party and poster award ceremony.

If you have a Scout Troop interested in participating, please contact Scoutmaster Mike Kleppinger.

Where Are They Now?

In 2016, Kepplinger checked in on the first group of All Scout Nano Day participants to see whether the 2003 event influenced their education and career choices.

He found that many of the students had gone on to attend engineering and science programs at prestigious universities including Stanford, Northwestern, Cornell, Purdue, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Illinois. Today, many of the first All Scout Nano Day participants are working for medical and tech companies throughout the U.S.