Arizona Center for STEM Teachers

Category: Bio Educational Institutions

The Arizona Center for STEM Teachers (ACST) was created through a three-year, $1.5 million grant by Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) to The University of Arizona's B2 Institute to establish a resource and training center that will expand the quality and retention of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers in Arizona. The Philecology Foundation is partnering and providing a matching grant to fully fund the Center.

The Center’s mission is to enhance and deepen the skills of Arizona STEM educators to ensure that their teaching translates to successful graduates who can effectively compete and prosper in the 21st century marketplace. Located at the Biosphere 2 facility in Oracle, the Center is part of the UA's B2 Institute and is slated to engage more than 300 teachers statewide within three years.

The Center is teacher-driven and provides Arizona STEM teachers with:

* Intensive summer programs incorporating research projects, formal lectures and curriculum development.
* Themed weekend coursework for building STEM education content and hands-on classroom curriculum.
* In partnership with the Arizona K-12 Center, professional coaching, mentoring and ongoing classroom support provided by experienced, master-level math and science teachers.
* A STEM teacher Web site and portal with online resources, toolkits, discussion boards and forums for sharing best practices, professional development and mentoring opportunities.
* Broad-based linking partnerships for educators to access state-of-the-art teacher resources through the UA College of Science, the B2 Institute and B2 Earthscience, and other educational entities.