Arizona's first SciTech Festival promotes STEM

January 30, 2012
SciTech Festival logo
EMCC hosts "Hermanas" Conference Feb. 24

MCCCD schedule events as part of Arizona's first SciTech Festival

STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math

When the Arizona SciTech Festival conducts its 2012 activities, the Maricopa Community Colleges will be active participants, with more than 30 activities scheduled on their campuses.

The SciTech Festival is designed to showcase Arizona as a national leader in science, technology and innovation through a series of events taking place during the months of February and March 2012. The festival is a grass roots collaboration of over 200 organizations in industry, academia, arts, community and K-12, geared to excite and inform Arizonans ages three to 103 about how science, technology and innovation will drive the state for the next 100 years.

"The Maricopa Community Colleges are leaders in bringing education in the STEM subjects – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – to the people of Maricopa County, so it makes sense for us to participate in the SciTech Festival," said Chancellor Rufus Glasper. "We're proud to be able to participate in activities that celebrate Arizona's role in science and technology."

While college activities will be primarily occurring in February and March, college activities also will be held in late January and into the spring.

Under the theme The Next 100 Years, the first Arizona SciTech Festival is being launched in concert with the state's 2012 centennial celebration. Modeled on San Diego's highly-successful Science Festival that draws 60,000 participants annually, more than 150 activities will take place in diverse neighborhoods throughout Arizona with signature events highlighting the innovative character of each region (e.g. aerospace, technology, bioscience) through exhibitions and shows. Additionally, the Festival will include up to 20 neighborhood science hubs providing workshop and discussion opportunities in neighborhood locations as well as in-field experiences at science and technology facilities throughout the state. To complement community learning opportunities, the Festival also will include in-school projects, workshops and competitions.

Don’t miss these other SciTech Festival activities in our Arizona communities! 

Apache Junction: Renaissance Science at the Arizona Renaissance Festival – Feb. 14, 15 & March 10, 11
Chandler: Chandler’s Science Spectacular – Feb. 16, 17 & 18
Downtown Tempe: Geek’s Night Out, the Science of Fun – Feb. 16
East Mesa: ASU’s College of Technology & Innovation – Maker Faire – Feb. 18
Peoria: 50th Anniversary of the First American to Orbit the Earth at the Challenge Space Center – Feb. 19
West Valley: ASU West’s ExSTATIC – Feb. 25
Downtown Scottsdale: The Mad Science of Baseball at the Spring Training Festival – Feb. 25 &26
North Scottsdale: Science is Everywhere in the Airpark – March 1
ASU Tempe campus: Night of the Open Door – March 3
UA Campus, Tucson: Innovation Day – March 6
Goodyear: Tres Rios Earth and Nature Festival – March 10 & 11

Following is a list of activities at the Maricopa Community Colleges:

Estrella Mountain Community College, 3000 N. Dysart Rd., Avondale

  • Hermanas: Desena Tu Futuro (Design Your Future) Conference. In partnership with Intel Corp.
    - Feb. 24, middle school cohort, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
    - April. 5, high school cohort, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Chandler-Gilbert Community College, 2626 E. Pecos Rd., Chandler

  • Excellence in Mathematics competition for junior high students, Jan. 28, 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Student Pavilion.
  • SQL Saturday. SQL servers professional management training by Gangplank. Date in late February or early March.
  • Noche de Colegio, STEM parent night. March, 2012, Student Pavilion.
  • Sustainability Day. Fifty student presentations. Apr. 4, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Student Pavilion.
  • Desert Code. Free IT courses by Gangplank. A Saturday in late April.
  • Si Se Puede Foundation STEM Ambassadors 2012. Leadership event. January to May. Also held at Chandler junior high schools.

GateWay Community College, 108 N. 40th St., Phoenix

  • High School STEM/Occupational Career Day. Mar. 1, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Glendale Community College, 6000 W. Olive Ave., Glendale

  • Arizona Science Olympiad (Division C). Statewide tournament of 25 high school science and technology teams. Mar. 3, 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Mesa Community College, 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa

  • "The Art and Science of Technology." Demonstrations in multimedia and robotics and hands-on activities. Feb. 8, 3-6 p.m.
  • Life Science Alumni Speaker Series. Alumni return to MCC to share their career experiences. Feb. 1 and Feb. 29, 4-5 p.m.
  • Mesa Community College Biotechnology Symposium. April 21, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
  • Astronomy Night at the Planetarium, first Fridays of the month 6-10 p.m., repeating ever half-hour, weather permitting. Telescopes will be on hand for viewing the moon, planets and stars.

Paradise Valley Community College, 184901 N. 32nd St., Phoenix

  • Festival Saturday. Includes activities, tours and displays, as well as highlights of partnerships with universities. Feb. 25. Kranitz Student Center and Life Sciences Building Q, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
  • Astronomy Night. See the Stars and Planets. Feb. 9, 7:30-10 p.m. G147.
  • Astronomy Night. "The Origin of the Moon," lecture. March 1, 7:30-10 p.m.
  • Astronomy Night. See the Stars and Planets. March 22. G147, 7:30 – 10 p.m.
  • Astronomy Night. Big Star Party Under Beautiful Dark Skies. March 29, 7:30-10 p.m. PVCC at Black Mountain, 60th St. and Carefree Highway.

Phoenix College, 1202 W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix

  • Phoenix College Science and Math. Showcasing the college's innovations in teaching STEM subjects. Feb. 7. Various activities from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
  • Calculus: The Musical. A comic review of the history and concepts of calculus. Feb. 7, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
  • Innovations in Chemistry, Mathematics and Bioscience Education/Catch Some Chemistry. Feb. 7, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Ed and Verna Pastor Plaza, between the library and Bulpitt Auditorium.
  • Innovations in Chemistry, Mathematics and Bioscience Education/Arithmetic Course. Feb. 7 9-11 a.m. and 5-7 p.m.
  • Innovations in Chemistry, Mathematics and Bioscience Education/Robotics. Feb. 7, 5-5:30 p.m.
  • Innovations in Chemistry, Mathematics and Bioscience Education/Second Life Bioscience. Conduct lab work in an immersive environment online. Feb. 7, 9-9:45 a.m. and 5-7 p.m.
  • Innovations in Chemistry, Mathematics and Bioscience Education/Cadaver Laboratory Tour. Feb. 7, 5-6 p.m.
  • Innovations in Chemistry, Mathematics and Bioscience Education/Medical Laboratory Science, Histologic Technology and Laboratory Assisting. Feb. 7, 9-11 a.m. and 5-7 p.m.

Scottsdale Community College, 9000 Chaparral Ave., Scottsdale

  • Planetarium at Scottsdale Community College. Open to the public certain Saturdays during the school year. Information at https://faculty.scottsdalecc.edu/mutz/planetarium. NS400, on the northeast side of campus.
  • Learning about the Future in 50 Minutes. Topics: High-performance Computing, 21st Century Informatics, Biotechnology/Bioscience, Nanotechnology/Nanoscience, Robotics/AI. Feb. 24, noon, CM-463.
  • Math/Science Field Day. High school teams compete in math and science events. Jan. 12, 8 a.m. -1:30 p.m., CM 463.
  • Center for Native and Urban Wildlife. Scheduled tours may be found at http://cnuw.scottsdalecc.edu/tours
  • What is Biodiversity? Tours at http://cnuw.scottsdalecc.edu/tours

Maricopa Advanced Technology Education Center (MATEC)

  • STEM Teacher Professional Development, Feb. 17 and Feb. 18, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. SRP-PERA Club, 1 E. Continental Drive., Tempe. Visit matecnetworks.org/htuteachers for more information
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