While there are no chemical or practical uses for the NanoKid molecule or any of its known derivatives outside of the classroom, James Tour has turned the NanoKid into a lifelike character to educate children in the sciences. The goals of the outreach program, as described on the NanoKids website, are:
*“To significantly increase students’ comprehension of chemistry, physics, biology, and materials science at the molecular level."
*"To provide teachers with conceptual tools to teach nanoscale science and emerging molecular technology."
*"To demonstrate that art and science can combine to facilitate learning for students with diverse learning styles and interests."
*"To generate informed interest in nanotechnology that encourages participation in and funding for research in the field.”
To accomplish these goals, several video clips, CDs, as well as interactive computer programs were created. Tour and his team invested over $250,000 into their project. In order to raise the funds for this endeavor, Tour used unrestricted funds from his professorship and small grants from Rice University, the Welch Foundation, the nanotech firm Zyvex, and Texas A&M University. Tour also received $100,000 in 2002 from the Small Grants for Exploratory Research program, a division of the National Science Foundation.
The main characters in the videos are animated versions of the NanoKid. They star in several videos and explain various scientific concepts, such as the periodic table, DNA, and covalent bonding.
Rice conducted several studies into the effectiveness of using the NanoKids materials. These studies found mostly positive results for the use of the NanoKids in the classroom. A 2004–2005 study in two schools districts in Ohio and Kentucky found that using NanoKids led to a 10–59% increase in understanding of the material presented. Additionally, it was found that 82% of students found that NanoKids made learning science more interesting.