Education

ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM EXPANDS TO FOUR NEW SCHOOL DISTRICTS

As the education conversation in Arizona programs featuring hands-on STEM programming continues, common themes like teacher and STEM Extravaganzas. These events provide retention and professional development teachers and students the opportunity to expand their dominate. To address these recurring topics, STEM knowledge through various hands-on science Arizona Science Center, in partnership with the activities. APS Foundation, continues the growth of its Rural Communities Expansion Project, providing teachers To date, the program has impacted more than 600 from rural areas throughout Arizona the opportunity teachers and 14,000 students from 32 schools in 13 to receive hands-on professional development within districts where opportunities for high-quality STEM the walls of their own school. professional development were once limited. The Currently, the Rural Communities Expansion Proj- launched by Arizona Science Center in 2012 with ect operates in the Prescott, Humboldt, Holbrook, grant funding from the APS Foundation now exSedona, Winslow, Cottonwood-Oak Creek, Verde ceeding $2.4 million. Valley, Florence, and Saddle Mountain (Tonopah) school districts. In 2019 the Science Center added “As our state continues to see the relocation of many four new districts including Deer Valley Unified bioscience and tech-focused companies, the need for School District. STEM-literate students, and teachers, has never been Entering its seventh year, the Rural Communi- tive learning strategies at Arizona Science Center. ties Expansion Project focuses on the professional “This program instills the confidence needed in these development of K–8 teachers in STEM subjects teachers to effectively engage their students and inby providing them with the tools, resources, and spire them to connect with science and bridge between confidence needed to keep up with the ever-chang- fact-based learning and real-world application.” ing curricula in STEM subjects, ensuring the same opportunities for success for all students, regardless For more information on Arizona Science Center’s of geography. The project sends Arizona Science programs for educators, please visit www.azscience. Center staff to schools around the state, where they org/educators. deliver tailored professional development programs Rural Communities Expansion Project was first more important,” says Jessica Hickey, VP of innovafor teachers, training for administrators, and student Photo courtesy of Arizona Science Center

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