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Reimagining the STEM Education Ecosystem

The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project (ASAP) is an initiative that provides direct support, resources, and funding to Arizona’s K-12 educators as they deliver high-quality, hands-on STEM education to our state’s future leaders.

See Our Impact



About ASAP

Supported by the AZ Department of Education and the APS Foundation, ASAP is a grassroots effort to enhance and accelerate STEM activities in schools across Arizona. It provides vital funding and guidance to schools and professional development organizations, increasing their ability to foster engagement, update curricula, and acquire materials needed to improve STEM education for Arizona’s youth and young adults.

Learn More About the Program

State of AZ STEM

Arizona currently ranks last in almost every major education category. We rank 48th in PreK-12 education, and 49th for the lowest graduation rate. Along with other educational deficiencies, there is a serious lack of STEM Education across the state. In the 2021-2022 school year, Arizona had 1 high school physics teacher for every 2,158 students, and statistics show that Arizona high school students enroll in upper-level science classes at only half the national average.

ASAP has sought to change that. Having impacted over 247,000 students over just two years of our program, and provided millions in funding to STEM teachers across the state, AZ STEM has begun to flourish. By providing support to teachers, the keystone species in a STEM education ecosystem, schools, communities, and students have been widely impacted. Over 2,000 STEM Lessons have been created through our program, as well as nearly 900 STEM projects hosted by our Fellows, who together have attended nearly 35,000 hours of Professional Development. STEM Education is changing for the better - but it needs our continued support.


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Our Awards

Throughout the history of the ASAP Program we continue to be recognized as a leader in accelerating STEM Education opportunities across Arizona, and have received a number of recognitions to date! Our program has...

  • Received the 2024 ASU's President's Medal for Social Embeddedness for demonstrating excellence and continued commitment to embedding Arizona State University in its community.
  • Spoken as an honored guest at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the state of STEM Education in Arizona and the impact of our project.
  • Received the Arizona Tech Council's Judges Award for the Governor's Award of Technology and Innovation for our strides in revolutionizing the methods in which direct support, funds, and guidance can be provided to teachers directly, rather than a top-down model.
  • Received the APS Foundation Grant, for enhancing academic achievement across Arizona in all major categories of STEM.

About Our Fellows

From every county in Arizona, over the past several years ASAP Fellows had paved the way in STEM education. They have had access to a broad range of professional development opportunities and continue to contribute to an ever-growing Lesson Plan Database.

Learn More About Our Fellows


Current Opportunities

There are currently a number of opportunities available to either fund, support, or provide professional development to Arizona Educators! Listed below are a number of them, many of which are provided by our PD Partners!

The Arizona Department Of Education wants to help teachers ‘Get Set For STEM!’ This scholarship program offers Arizona Educators $2,000 per year for up to three years to pursue coursework or programs that will prepare them to add a STEM area (calculus, physics, biology, etc) or a CTE Certificate, along with bolster their STEM teaching knowledge and skills.
 

Any Arizona certified teachers with a current contract at an Arizona public school are eligible and encouraged to apply! Coursework must be taken through a regionally or nationally accredited secondary-education institution in Arizona, such as ASU, UA, NAU, GCU, or an Arizona Community College. In addition, scholarship recipients agree to teach in Arizona public schools for three years after completing their coursework or program.

Learn More!

In partnership with Phoenix Suns/Phoenix Mercury Foundation, APS' STEM Teacher Grants help bring learning to life with awards of up to $2,500 for K-12, public and charter school teachers who lead innovative, hands-on activities that introduce STEM concepts to the classroom. A total of $50,000 is available each year. This funding will be awarded for classroom projects from January through May!

Applications for this opportunity are generally open during the month of September, and this year will be available until September 30th, 2024! In addition all project funds must be spent on designated budget items within the school year in which they are approved.

To learn more and apply for this exciting opportunity, click below!

Learn More!

 Our Professional Development Partners have a plethora of free or low-cost opportunities available to educators year-round! These workshops are hosted across every Arizona county, and there are plenty of in-person and virtual opportunities!

To visit the websites and professional development calendars of our partners, please feel free to click on any of the icons on the 'Our Partners' page, and there's sure to be workshops available for your grade level and subject area!

Our Partners

I have grown more in the last two years than I ever have. Much more willing to take risks and step way outside my comfort zone! Dare mighty things indeed!

Rob Lynch

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STEM Lesson Plans

Our online library of teacher-sourced STEM lesson plans provides one-stop access for K-12 educators. With lessons from every K-12 STEM subject, this free resource is sure to have something for your classroom!

See All Lesson Plans

Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
2 votes with an average rating of 0.5.
This lesson takes students through the process of creating an interactive storyboard using a Makey Makey circuit board. This lesson can be adjusted for any grade level with examples given in the 4th
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Grades: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
23 votes with an average rating of 0.9.
Be a part of the humanitarian effort and teach students how to create a fully functioning 3D printed prosthetic arm for a client in need. This lesson walks you through the process in a slideshow

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Our Funders

Throughout the course of our program, under Grant No. BPM004016 the ASAP program has received essential funding contributions from the Arizona Department of Education, as well as additional funding from the APS Foundation. These efforts have allowed our program to continue providing funds, materials, support, and guidance to teachers, as well as partner with other non-profit programs. The acceleration we've made to date in STEM Education would not have been possible without these funders!

For anyone who may be interested in partnering or contributing funding to ASAP to support future STEM Fellowships and advance education across our state- we would love for you to reach out!

Contact Us!