Lab safety made simple: Preparing K-12 students for year-long success

2025-10-23

Give your students the tools they need for a safe and successful science experience with the Lab Safety for Middle School and High School: Understanding Lab Safety STEM Certificate. Launched in August 2025, this free, online program has already helped almost 4,000 students master key lab skills and safety procedures. With engaging videos and interactive quizzes, it’s designed to help students take ownership of their safety and confidence in the lab. Whether at the start of the year, before a major experiment, or anytime students need a quick refresher on best practices, teachers can easily share this resource as part of their classroom routine.

This program is offered virtually at no cost and made available to students nationwide through Purdue Chemistry’s K-12 outreach team, providing easy and widespread access to essential lab safety training for students wherever they learn.

The online certificate program includes ten short videos, each just three to five minutes long, paired with quick quizzes to reinforce learning. Students learn how to correctly wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), behave responsibly in the lab, and use emergency tools like eyewash stations, safety showers, and fume hoods. They’ll also review best practices for handling glassware and operating key lab tools such as balances and microscopes. It’s a simple, interactive way to ensure every student understands lab safety before diving into hands-on science.

Teachers have expressed appreciation that the program is effortless to integrate. Once students complete all the videos and quizzes, they receive a special code that’s entered into a shared spreadsheet to automatically generate a personalized completion certificate. Since its launch, educators across the country have used this program to help thousands of students develop a stronger understanding of lab procedures and expectations, making classrooms safer and more efficient.

“Science should start in a lab, and labs should start with safety. I was honored and thrilled to be asked to help the Superheroes of Science make these videos,” shares Patrick Harmon, a teacher from Castle High School who helped develop the certificate. “I hope teachers and students check out the videos and find them useful in their journey through science!”

Harmon worked closely with the Ren Research group at Purdue University and K-12 Chemistry Outreach team. The program was made possible through funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation (CHE 2350262), with support from Professor Tong Ren.

“Superheroes of Science, along with K-12 Chemistry Outreach, is thrilled with the participation we have received from both educators and students for the Understanding Lab Safety STEM Certificate that was released at the beginning of August (2025),” Nern emphasizes. “The self-guided nature of the program makes it easy for teachers to adopt as part of their classroom procedures. We are especially thankful for the support provided by Professor Tong Ren toward this program.”

Because it’s entirely online, the Lab Safety STEM Certificate fits easily into any teaching style or schedule. It works well for in-person or virtual learning, individual assignments, or group instruction. Students not only gain practical safety knowledge but also a greater appreciation for why these procedures matter in scientific exploration.

For more K-12 learning opportunities, explore our other K-12 STEM Degrees. There, educators and students can explore other certificate programs and access the STEM Career Repository, a searchable collection of videos featuring real STEM professionals and downloadable handouts. 

About Purdue Chemistry

The James Tarpo Jr. and Margaret Tarpo Department of Chemistry is internationally acclaimed for its excellence in chemical education and innovation, boasting two Nobel laureates in organic chemistry, the #1 ranked analytical chemistry program, and a highly successful drug discovery initiative that has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties. Learn more about chem.purdue.edu.

Written and graphic provided by: Alison Harmeson, senior communications specialist for the Purdue University College of Science