{"id":5503,"date":"2026-09-22T07:45:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T05:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/?p=5503"},"modified":"2026-09-22T07:45:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T05:45:15","slug":"scitech-institute-stem-access-arizona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/scitech-institute-stem-access-arizona\/","title":{"rendered":"SciTech Institute Brings STEM to Every Corner of Arizona"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/scitechinstitute.org\/\">SciTech Institute<\/a> is working to make sure that science, technology, engineering, and math aren&#8217;t out of reach for any student in Arizona, no matter their zip code. The organization serves the state&#8217;s entire STEM ecosystem \u2014 students, educators, families, schools, nonprofits, businesses, and community organizations alike \u2014 with a particular focus on reaching urban, suburban, rural, and tribal communities that don&#8217;t always have equal access to STEM opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Through initiatives like the Chief Science Officers program, which elects students in grades 6\u201312 to lead STEM change in their own schools and communities, and the statewide Arizona SciTech Festival, the organization turns STEM from something students learn about into something they actively shape. Its Science For All activities and STEM for All Kits \u2014 modeled on the community Little Free Library concept \u2014 put hands-on science within reach of kids in schools, libraries, and afterschool programs, without the need for costly equipment.<\/p>\n<p>SciTech Institute recently received a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/\">small grant<\/a> from Kars4Kids. As the backbone organization of the Arizona STEM Ecosystem, SciTech Institute continues to connect educators, industry, and community partners so that good ideas can travel farther across the state.<\/p>\n<p>We put some questions to Dr. Jeremy Babendure, Executive Director of SciTech Institute, to find out more.<\/p>\n<h2>Kars4Kids: Who does SciTech Institute serve \u2014 which students, schools, or communities across Arizona?<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Jeremy Babendure: SciTech Institute really serves the entire STEM ecosystem in Arizona. That includes students and educators, but also families, schools, nonprofits, businesses, workforce partners, and community organizations. A big part of our work is making sure STEM opportunities aren\u2019t concentrated in just a few places. We work across urban, suburban, rural, and tribal communities throughout the state, connecting people with programs, resources, and partnerships that can strengthen STEM education and career pathways locally.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-5504\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2025-scitech-festival_54944603046_o-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"2025 SciTech Festival\" width=\"840\" height=\"560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2025-scitech-festival_54944603046_o-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2025-scitech-festival_54944603046_o-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2025-scitech-festival_54944603046_o-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2025-scitech-festival_54944603046_o-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2025-scitech-festival_54944603046_o-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2025-scitech-festival_54944603046_o-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Kars4Kids: What is the Chief Science Officers program, and how does it turn students into STEM leaders rather than just STEM learners?<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Jeremy Babendure: Chief Science Officers, or CSOs, are students in grades 6\u201312 who are elected by their peers to serve as STEM leaders in their schools and communities. What makes the program different is that we\u2019re giving students a voice and the tools to create change. CSOs identify something they want to improve, develop an Action Plan, build partnerships, and put that plan into practice. Along the way, they\u2019re developing communication, leadership, networking, and problem-solving skills. They begin to see that they don\u2019t have to wait until they\u2019re adults to contribute to STEM or make an impact in their communities.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5513 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-07-20-at-1.17.23-PM-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"SciTech Institute group photo of Chief Science Officers\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-07-20-at-1.17.23-PM-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-07-20-at-1.17.23-PM-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-07-20-at-1.17.23-PM-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-07-20-at-1.17.23-PM-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-07-20-at-1.17.23-PM-1200x900.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-07-20-at-1.17.23-PM.jpeg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Kars4Kids: The CSO program has expanded beyond Arizona \u2014 what does that growth tell you about the need for student-led STEM leadership elsewhere?<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Jeremy Babendure: The growth of the program shows us that the need isn\u2019t unique to Arizona. Young people everywhere want opportunities to contribute, lead, and have their ideas taken seriously. The CSO model gives communities a framework for making that happen. Today, the program reaches students across multiple states and internationally, and while every community adapts it to its own needs, the underlying idea remains the same: students have valuable perspectives on STEM, education, and the future of their communities, and they should have a seat at the table.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5510\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Girl-in-front-of-CSO-logo.png\" alt=\"Panel at Chief Science Officers event, SciTech Institute\" width=\"702\" height=\"463\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Girl-in-front-of-CSO-logo.png 702w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Girl-in-front-of-CSO-logo-300x198.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Kars4Kids: What happens during the Arizona SciTech Festival, and how does it work toward making STEM feel accessible to people who might not otherwise engage with it?<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Jeremy Babendure: The Arizona SciTech Festival is a statewide celebration of STEM that brings hands-on experiences directly into communities. Each year, communities, businesses, universities, museums, schools, and other organizations host events where families can explore science and technology in ways that are interactive and relevant to their everyday lives. You might see everything from aerospace and robotics to health sciences, sustainability, engineering, and local STEM careers. The goal is to meet people where they are and create opportunities where someone can say, \u201cI can do this. STEM is for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-5505\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2025-scitech-festival_54944911775_o-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"SciTech Festival boy tries out STEM activity\" width=\"840\" height=\"560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2025-scitech-festival_54944911775_o-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2025-scitech-festival_54944911775_o-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2025-scitech-festival_54944911775_o-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2025-scitech-festival_54944911775_o-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2025-scitech-festival_54944911775_o-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2025-scitech-festival_54944911775_o-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Kars4Kids: What is Science For All, and how does it address the gap in who typically gets access to STEM opportunities?<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Jeremy Babendure: Science For All is about removing some of the practical barriers that can keep young people from experiencing hands-on STEM. We provide activities and resources that can be used in schools, libraries, afterschool programs, community organizations, and other places where kids already spend their time. The activities are designed to be approachable and engaging without requiring expensive equipment or specialized facilities. That allows us to bring meaningful STEM experiences into communities where access to those opportunities may otherwise be limited.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-5508\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/America-250-STEM-Kit-816x1024.jpg\" alt=\"STEM kits, SciTech Institute\" width=\"816\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/America-250-STEM-Kit-816x1024.jpg 816w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/America-250-STEM-Kit-239x300.jpg 239w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/America-250-STEM-Kit-768x963.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/America-250-STEM-Kit-1225x1536.jpg 1225w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/America-250-STEM-Kit-1633x2048.jpg 1633w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/America-250-STEM-Kit-1200x1505.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/America-250-STEM-Kit-scaled.jpg 2041w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Kars4Kids: SciTech Institute serves as the backbone of the Arizona STEM Ecosystem \u2014 what does that coordinating role add that individual schools or organizations couldn&#8217;t do alone?<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Jeremy Babendure: Arizona has incredible organizations doing STEM work, but no single organization can address the state&#8217;s needs by itself. Our role as a backbone organization is to help connect those efforts so people can share resources, identify gaps, learn from one another, and build solutions together. We bring education, industry, government, nonprofits, and community organizations into the same conversations. That coordination helps good ideas travel farther and helps communities avoid having to reinvent something that may already be working somewhere else in Arizona.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-5509\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Avnet-Packing-Party-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Avnet Packing Party, SciTech Institute\" width=\"840\" height=\"560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Avnet-Packing-Party-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Avnet-Packing-Party-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Avnet-Packing-Party-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Avnet-Packing-Party-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Avnet-Packing-Party-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Avnet-Packing-Party-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Kars4Kids: What are the STEM for All Kits, and how do they put hands-on science within reach of kids who might not otherwise have it?<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Jeremy Babendure: STEM for All Kits takes the familiar idea of a community Little Free Library and expands it to include hands-on STEM resources. Through our STEM kit program, kids and families can pick up activities that allow them to experiment, build, and problem-solve on their own. We work with community partners to place these resources where families can easily access them. A young person shouldn\u2019t necessarily need to enroll in a special program, travel across town, or have expensive materials at home to explore STEM.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-5506\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2026-Pinal-WOW-Event-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"WOW event, SciTech Institute\" width=\"840\" height=\"560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2026-Pinal-WOW-Event-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2026-Pinal-WOW-Event-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2026-Pinal-WOW-Event-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2026-Pinal-WOW-Event-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2026-Pinal-WOW-Event-2-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2026-Pinal-WOW-Event-2.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Kars4Kids: What&#8217;s next for SciTech Institute?<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Jeremy Babendure: One of the biggest areas of growth for us is connecting STEM education more intentionally with workforce development. We\u2019ve spent years building programs and partnerships that get students excited about STEM, and now we want to make the pathways between that interest and future careers even clearer.<\/p>\n<p>One way we\u2019re doing that is by developing a dedicated Workforce Zone within the Arizona SciTech Festival. The Festival already has a successful model for bringing families, students, educators, and STEM organizations together, so the Workforce Zone gives us an opportunity to integrate career readiness into that experience. Students can have a great hands-on STEM experience while also beginning to understand, \u201cWhat careers connect to this? What skills would I need? What could my pathway look like?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That connects closely with our Skills Maps work, which brings education and industry partners together to identify the skills students need for high-demand careers, as well as our Worlds of Work initiatives, where students can interact directly with employers and experience different career fields firsthand.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, we want young people to see a much clearer connection between what they\u2019re learning, the STEM experiences available in their communities, and the opportunities waiting for them in Arizona\u2019s workforce. At the same time, we\u2019re helping educators, employers, and community partners work together so those pathways are easier for students to navigate. That alignment between education, community, and workforce is going to be a major focus for SciTech Institute moving forward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SciTech Institute is working to make sure that science, technology, engineering, and math aren&#8217;t out of reach for any student [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5512,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>SciTech Institute: Bringing STEM Access to All of Arizona<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"SciTech Institute, a Kars4Kids small grant recipient, connects Arizona students and communities with hands-on STEM education and leadership.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/scitech-institute-stem-access-arizona\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SciTech Institute: Bringing STEM Access to All of Arizona\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"SciTech Institute, a Kars4Kids small grant recipient, connects Arizona students and communities with hands-on STEM education and leadership.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/scitech-institute-stem-access-arizona\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Kars4Kids Small Grants\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" 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