Mr. Thanh Vinh Le’s involvement with Small-Scale Chemistry (SSC) began in 2019, when he attended a training workshop jointly organized by Ho Chi Minh City University of Science and the Chemical Society of Thailand. He emphasized that hands-on experiments are essential for learning chemistry; however, traditional laboratory methods are often costly and generate significant amounts of waste. SSC offers a safer, more cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable alternative.
At first, Mr. Thanh Vinh Le applied the twelve experiments introduced during the workshop, but he soon expanded this repertoire by designing additional activities of his own, including halogen reactions, electrolysis, and organic chemistry experiments. To assess SSC’s impact, he conducted a study on teaching “Group VIIA Elements” to 10th-grade students. The research focused on both learning outcomes and students’ awareness of SSC’s environmental benefits. The results showed that SSC not only improved student engagement and comprehension but also fostered a stronger appreciation for sustainable scientific practices.
In his role as Academic Manager at Lawrence S. Ting School in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Thanh Vinh Le has actively promoted SSC among teachers. He organized a series of teacher workshops (October 9, 2019; February 8, 2023; and February 26, 2025), each featuring practical SSC activities. He also established professional learning community meetings where teachers could share their experiences. In addition, he mentored colleagues in applying SSC—for example, supporting a demonstration lesson on pH indicators on November 8, 2023, which was shared with teachers citywide. These initiatives significantly expanded SSC’s reach within the local education community.
To further encourage creativity, Mr. Thanh Vinh Le launched an SSC competition for teachers at his school on March 22, 2023. Participants were challenged to design and present their own experiments. The projects presented ranged from preparing Javel solution and studying gas properties (SO₂ and CO₂) to exploring the effect of concentration on reaction rates, electrolysis, color separation of copper(II) chromate, and halogen displacement reactions. This event not only promoted innovation but also strengthened teachers’ pedagogical skills. In conclusion, Mr. Thanh Vinh Le’s journey demonstrates that SSC is far more than just a teaching technique. It is a transformative educational approach that enhances classroom effectiveness, deepens students’ understanding, raises environmental awareness, and supports the professional development of teachers.
