Program areas at SARSEF
Education and Outreach: What Do We Wonder, an in-school program delivering direct STEM education to Arizona classroom, served 907 students, all from Title 1 schools. Our teacher professional development program included 683 teachers, 72% from Title 1 schools. STAR Lab at the University of Arizona gives high school students access to professional research resources and mentorship. Forty-nine students were directly impacted, with 21 mentors and 10 volunteers. The Regional Science and Engineering Fair showcased 1,559 projects by 5,910 students and awarded over $129,000 in scholarships, trips and prizes to students for high quality research. Through SARSEF, 93 students participated in the Arizona Junior Science and Humanities Symposium.
Arizona STEM Adventure AZ STEM Adventure provided hands-on STEM activities to students through virtual and in-person field trip options. The program directly served 1,867 students and 49 teachers from Pima, Maricopa, Cochise, Yuma, Yavapai, Apache, Navajo, Pinal, and Santa Cruz Counties. SARSEF built and distributed classroom kits to all participants in the virtual track which included hands-on activities and tours of local science organizations and colleges. The in-person track was held at Pima Community College Northwest Campus through the support of over 100 volunteers and 36 exhibitors. All teachers received professional development focusing on engineering as well as $120 worth of materials for future engineering lessons.
Racing the Sun Racing the Sun is an opportunity for Arizona high school students to team up to design, build and race electric and solar-powered go-karts with the help of community mentors throughout the school year. During the 2022-2023 school year, 148 students from 12 schools participated with the help of community mentors providing direct support as needed.