Arizona Science Center gets $1M grant to expand education fair

PHOENIX — A new $1 million grant will support the Arizona Science Center education fair, museum officials announced on Tuesday.

The grant money came from the Helios Education Foundation and will help the fair become more accessible and inclusive.

Essentially, it will help the fair become larger by including more participants and communities throughout Arizona.

Expansion of Arizona Science Center education fair

The grant money will help the center update and expand the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair over the next three years.

The program, called AzSEF for short, is a yearly opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge and expertise in the field of science. It’s a popular way for schools to highlight the importance of STEM education. Around 900 students from 140 schools take part in it every year.

The new initiative backed by the $1 million grant will be called AzSEF 2.0.

The whole point of expanding the fair is to promote lifelong STEM learning.

A news release from the museum said the goal is to engage at least 2,100 more fair participants, 60 new teachers and 15 new Arizona communities.

On top of that, this initiative will also focus on helping students who have already attended the fair in the past. AzSEF 2.0 will connect teachers and students with mentors and content experts. Additionally, it will offer scholarships for students to continue their science research after high school.

Arizona Science Center President Guy Labine said receiving the grant was an honor.

“Arizona Science Center is constantly seeking opportunities to bring STEM education to all of Arizona’s youth,” Labine said in the release. “We are excited to take on this new initiative to bring long-term success to students across the state.”