Author: Danniey Wright

In Fall 2026, Dr. Payal Khosla, of the University of Arizona Norton School of Human Ecology, in partnership with SARSEF, will be offering a Junior version of the celebrated AZ STEM Adventure that has been enjoyed by 4th-8th grade students and their teachers for over 20 years.

Expansion to K-3 for 2026

This year, K-3 teachers and students have reason for excitement as the program is expanding to offer a younger version in 2026 as a pilot with the potential for expansion in the future. This opportunity aims to foster curiosity, problem-solving, and critical thinking early on in life alongside their peers in a fun, engaging, and developmentally appropriate way!

Arizona Junior STEM Adventure is a field trip which offers a one-day glimpse into the world of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). STEM professionals from throughout Arizona share their world to motivate students to engage in science or engineering. Meanwhile, their teachers will attend two hours of professional development related to confidently bringing STEM into the classroom and receive materials and lesson plans to do so. AZ STEM Adventure is offered at no cost. Schools must provide transportation to the field trip as well as a chaperone for every 8 students attending who will remain with them throughout the entirety of the event.

Important dates

• July 22, 2026 – Application opens
• August 14, 2026 – Application closes
• August 19, 2026 – Offers of acceptance sent
• September 4, 2026 – Confirmation required
• November 6, 2026 – AZ Junior STEM Adventure 9:00a-12:00p

Location and schedule

The AZ Junior STEM Adventure will be held at UA Norton School of Human Ecology, McClelland Park 650 N. Park Ave, 
Tucson, AZ 85721, on Friday, November 6, 2026, from 9:00a-12:00p. Teachers will attend a professional development onsite from 9:00a-11:00a while chaperones and students explore STEM activities from local organizations.

For this pilot year, we are able to accept a maximum of fifteen K-3rd grade classes to attend the event. Teachers wanting to be considered for this event should fill out an application between July 22 and August 14. Participants will be notified of their acceptance on August 19.

The 2026 application window is now closed.

For information on the AZ STEM Adventure for 4-8 grade students (not this Junior pilot), please see our program page.

SARSEF Summer STEM Camps is spending a glorious two weeks at Tohono Chul Park. The beautiful desert landscape is a wonderful backdrop for learning about nature and wildlife. One camper described Tohono Chul as being “the nicest plus biggest park in all the land. Home to all animals and plants.” Campers were instructed to go into the park and find “special spots” from which to observe wildlife. When they returned to the classroom, they were asked to report back on their findings. Students reported that “if everyone was quiet and you listened hard enough, you could hear the creek babbling,” and that they “liked how peaceful it was.” One aspiring scientist even reported seeing “a hundred billion snails in the water.” 

A favorite activity was making lizard keychains out of beads, and one girl went around patiently showing others how to bead their lizards correctly. Many campers also discussed learning the basket weaving techniques traditionally belonging to the Tohono O’odham nation using yarn and paper, combining the hard sciences with anthropology. After all, you can’t truly understand the ecology of an environment without learning about the humans who live there. 

After learning about water buoyancy, meeting a rattlesnake, discovering the lifecycle of the saguaro cactus, and creating model animal crossings, campers got to show their skills off at the end of week talent show. Many students chose to present on their animal crossings, designed to help animals from various habitats safely cross highways and avoid habitat fragmentation. Additionally, students showed creations such as their beaded lizards, a mummy stick, a paper monster named Henry, and even a cardboard model of a crossing with a working sign using rubber bands. 

When asked what they like about STEM, one future scientist stated, “there’s always something new to learn about,” while another reported that they “really like discovering new things and making new things.” We can’t think of a better place to do this than at SARSEF Summer STEM Camp.

This week, the Children’s Museum of Tucson transformed into a buzzing hub of scientific discovery as SARSEF Summer STEM campers dove headfirst into the exciting worlds of engineering, acoustics, and criminology. From solving mysterious crimes to building robotic hands, these young scientists put their problem-solving skills to the test.

Our campers channeled their inner forensic scientists, analyzing clues and using deductive reasoning to solve a thrilling mystery. Working together, they discovered that understanding cause and effect isn’t just critical for future scientists—it’s the key to unraveling any puzzle life throws their way.

Later, armed with cardboard and boundless creativity, campers constructed their very own robotic hands. Campers reported loving the opportunity to work competitively on teams for this activity. Developing social skills such as collaboration and group problem-solving are critical for aspiring scientists and engineers. Additionally, by promoting building activities, SARSEF is fostering an environment of creativity and ingenuity. One student stated that their favorite part of camp was “using our imagination. Like, when we were building things we got to like, build kind of whatever we wanted, so I got to express my emotions and stuff.”

What makes SARSEF Summer STEM Camp truly special isn’t just the science—it’s how seamlessly it weaves together technical learning with essential life skills. Through combining STEM with other important skills such as teamwork and creativity, students are able to develop a more well-rounded and interdisciplinary approach to the sciences.  When asked about what they learned, one student reported being excited to learn that “STEM is all around you.”

This lightbulb moment perfectly captures our mission—helping young people see that science isn’t confined to textbooks and laboratories. It’s everywhere, waiting to be discovered, explored, and understood.

Campers praised their counselors and one enthusiastically declared they’d “completely recommend [SARSEF Summer STEM Camps] to other people who like STEM.”

When young people are this excited about learning, you know something extraordinary is happening. SARSEF Summer STEM Camp isn’t just teaching science—it’s inspiring the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and dreamers who will shape our world’s future.

SARSEF summer STEM campers spent the last two weeks at UA Tech Park learning about astrobiology, the study of how life might evolve on other planets. This included learning about extremophiles–organisms that can thrive under extreme environmental conditions. One camper said their favorite thing they learned at camp this week was that “javelina and saguaro cactus are both extremophiles” because of their ability to live in harsh desert conditions. 

As part of this education, campers were instructed to design their own planets and extremophiles, mixing scientific inquiry and artistic expression. Campers presented a number of their designs, including a Vampire Bunny who lives on a desert planet and uses its fangs to suck water from cacti; a decapus, a 10-tentacled creature who lives on the planet Banana; a Retroid Flamingo who lives on a purple planet; and a water worm with wings. 

One of the goals of SARSEF summer camp, in addition to teaching STEM concepts, is to build skills such as collaboration, teamwork, and communication. For this reason, many camp activities and projects are done in teams. One student said her favorite camp activity was doing experiments: “I like that we get to work together.” 

During one team building exercise, groups used rubber bands to stack plastic cups into pyramids within a time limit, which teaches the science of using tension in engineering, but it also teaches teamwork. During another round, no one could talk, forcing participants to communicate nonverbally. In another, everyone had their eyes closed except for one person, who was in charge of managing the team. These exercises facilitate team building and collaboration skills as well as leadership. 

Parents reported that camp had a positive impact on their children. When asking one couple if their child seemed excited to come to camp, they replied, “Yes, every day he was up at 5:30, ready to go,” and went on to say of their son: “he was rambling on about everything he learned each day–stuff I hadn’t even heard about.”

On the last day of camp, students shared their projects with family members, closing out the week and reflecting on what they had learned. It’s always so wonderful to hear about the week from their perspective!

The SARSEF Summer STEM Camp aims to engage children ages 4th-8th grade in the sciences, particularly those from groups who are historically underrepresented in STEM fields. The first week of SARSEF Summer STEM Camp was held at Pima Community College Northwest Campus. This week, campers designed projects intended to help solve problems in their communities related to public health, safety, and the environment. One student designed a 2-story house with an elevator. From this project, she reported learning “whenever something fails, you can always try again. Like, you always get stronger.”

One group of five aspiring scientists built a five foot tall marble tower, equipped with a conveyor belt, and capable of using the same marble in perpetuity. One engineer from this group stated that collaborating on this project taught her that “helping each other is important” to success. Other projects included a “do not touch” sign to protect people from thorny roses, a wind-powered “trash picker upper” with flames coming out of it, and multiple racecar designs which taught students the power of aerodynamics.

Parents were excited to have their kids attend a camp at Pima Community College Campus, where they could get exposure to the environment of higher education. They reported choosing the camp because they value their kids “being able to put things together and understand how things work”. They were also happy with how the camp allowed their kids to come out of their shells and gain social skills in a welcoming environment.

Last week, the SARSEF cohort of ISEF Finalists and Observers attended the 75th anniversary of the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio! Over the exciting week, students presented their research on the world stage and came home with over $40,000 worth of awards!

“Going to ISEF has been one of my favorite and most cherished memories of senior year. Not only did I have the opportunity to share my own research, but I was also able to connect with brilliant minds across categories, cultures, and countries. This experience has been nothing short of phenomenal. I am incredibly grateful to SARSEF for making this journey possible and for supporting young scientists like me in pursuing our passions on a global stage.” – Nishita Karikatti, 2025 ISEF Finalist

Twelve high school students were awarded a Finalist spot at ISEF during the 2025 SARSEF Regional Fair in March:

• Mercedes Castro and Carmen Martinez (Harvest Preparatory Academy, Yuma, AZ) – Their project addressed the lack of access that 500 million women worldwide have to menstrual products, clean water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. Their research aimed to engineer a reusable menstrual pad that can monitor feminine health and address financial and accessibility barriers.
• Nishita Karikatti (BASIS Oro Valley, Oro Valley, AZ) – Nishita explored the parasite, Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), which infects the central nervous system of up to a third of the world’s population, which research revealed insight as to the potential importance copper may have in chronic toxoplasmosis.
• Diane Ladino and Diana Navarro (Harvest Preparatory Academy, Yuma, AZ) – Diane and Diana explored engineering of a delivery truck system integrated with acoustic wave technology to inhibit E. coli growth in romaine lettuce.
• Louis Liu (University High School, Tucson, AZ) – Louis created FallPoint: a robust fall detection model combining a time-distributed PointNet, a recurrent neural network based on the gate recurrent unit, and a multi-layer perceptron to address the major problem of falls for the growing elderly population. It is an immediate detection and alert system crucial to reduce the extent of damage.
• Angel Lopez and Ruben Nunez (Harvest Preparatory Academy, Yuma, AZ) – They set out to engineer a solar-powered water desalination prototype, which was integrated with a graphene-based membrane for efficient salt removal to address the lack of clean, drinkable water experienced by 40% of the global population.
• Tesla Lukow (BASIS Tucson North, Tucson, AZ) – Tesla researched the influence of magnetic fields on atmospheric escape from exoplanets, which is important to understanding the general demographics of exoplanets and the physical and chemical properties of their atmospheres.
• Estefany Regalado (Harvest Preparatory Academy, Yuma, AZ) – Estefany aimed to address antibiotic need in countries with widespread poverty. This research is aimed to create a cost-effective antibiotic ointment using traditional plants that are used in Mexican herbal medicine.
• Humberto Gil Villalobos and Michael Castro (Harvest Preparatory Academy, Yuma, AZ) –  Their project involved creating and testing a weed barrier that can get rid of harmful bugs that is safe for the earth and humans, addressing the 20%-40% loss in crop production each year due to pests and bioactivity.

Two eighth graders were also selected at the SARSEF Fair to attend ISEF as Student Observers due to the quality and impact of their research.

• Kent Olsson (Hermosa Montessori Charter School, Tucson, AZ) – Kent researched conditions on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, and set out to engineer the most efficient airfoil design for a future fixed wing aircraft. For his research, Kent won the SARSEF Board of Directors Community Impact Award as well as several other Sponsored Awards, sending him to ISEF.
• Simone Smith (St. Cyril’s Catholic School, Tucson, AZ) – Simone used knowledge gained from Girls Who Code to create an AI model trained with Teachable Machines to find PFM-1 landmines (also known as “Deadly Butterflies”) on different backgrounds in pictures with at least 80% accuracy to address the problem of land mines injuring civilians, especially children, in war zones. Simone won the SARSEF Excellence in Research Award award, as well as the Broadcom Foundation Coding with Commitment Award among other awards at the SARSEF Fair.

Finalists and Observers joined the 1,600 other students from over 66 different countries in Columbus, Ohio, last week, presenting research in twenty-two different categories. There, they attended symposia, networked with other top young minds in their category, and were evaluated by a team of judges representing STEM professionals from around the world. The SARSEF cohort received recognition for their work and won several awards. Estefany Regalado was awarded a special award from Arizona State University in the form of a four year scholarship worth up to $38,000. Carmen Martinez and Mercedes Castro won a third place grand award in the category of Material Science, marking the first time Harvest Preparatory Academy in Yuma has brought back a Grand Award from ISEF. Louis Liu was awarded a second place Grand Award in the category of Robotics, receiving the highest honors in the cohort.

Awards and recognition aside, what we hear most about is the transformative experience these students receive by attending the largest pre-college STEM competition in the world. Their worlds are forever changed through their involvement with this Society for Science program and subsequent community of young scientists and engineers.

We had several educators and parents join us on the experience, and they have echoed the feelings of the entire group.

“What struck me most was how science truly functions as a universal language—students from diverse backgrounds communicated complex ideas fluently through shared scientific terminology, methodologies, and visual representations. Witnessing high school STEM work performed at the highest level and forming lasting friendships with like-minded students from around the world has been truly transformative.” – Jeannette Olsson

SARSEF wants to give a heartfelt congratulations to all of the PreK-12 students who performed research this school and to those who represented Southern Arizona at ISEF! This program is only possible through the widespread community support of educators, committed STEM professionals, and organizations who donate their time, skills, and financial gifts grants to make the SARSEF Fair and this opportunity special. We’d also like to give a heartfelt thanks to the partners that make it happen, especially our top SARSEF sponsors:

Our Visionary Sponsor: Connie Hillman Family Foundation  

Innovator Sponsors: The Burton Family Foundation, Tucson Electric Power, Mike and Marisa Fitzgerald

Catalyst Sponsors: APS Foundation, Arizona Science Center, Caris Foundation, City of Tucson, EZBO Foundation, Howmet Aerospace Foundation, Kinder Morgan, National Gypsum Company, Pima Community College Foundation, The Stocker Foundation, Thomas R. Brown Foundations, Office of Societal Impact, University of Arizona, and John Lee Compton 

and many more!

Your investment in STEM education in our communities provides unique opportunities like this and year-round programming to help create Arizona’s future critical thinkers and problem solvers.

The SARSEF Regional Fair is upon us once again! Registration is now closed for this event, and there are over 1,500 student projects waiting in the wings to premiere at the virtual exhibit hall on Saturday, March 1st! Consider this you go-to guide of what to expect for Fair Week 2025.

February 24- February 26 – Display and Safety Checks

All projects will undergo Display and Safety checks to ensure compliance with Fair rules. Registrants, students, and parents will be emailed information on how to review project submissions and submit any corrections that are necessary. Registrants that have an account may submit corrections via their account. Parents, caregivers, teachers, and those who registered as a guest will be given an opportunity to make corrections through our public portal. An email notification will go out when the public portal opens for edits. Corrections for project info and files will be permitted until Wednesday, February 26th at 10:00pm.

March 1 – Virtual Exhibit Hall Goes Live

The virtual exhibit hall will go live Saturday, March 1st, at 12:00p. You can begin browsing the over 1,500 student projects that advanced to the Regional Fair this year! Judges will begin reviewing projects in preparation for judging and interview days.

Tuesday, March 4 – High School (9-12) Judging and Interviews

High School judging and interviews will take place in-person at the University of Arizona Student Union Grand Ballroom from 8:00am-4:00pm. Interviews are required at this level and students should plan to attend the entire day. The day will include interviews with judges as well as category networking sessions similar to those held at the International Science and Engineering Fair. Students will have the opportunity to connect with other students in their category as well as STEM professionals in a related discipline.

Wednesday and Thursday, March 5-6 – Elementary and Middle School (PreK-8) Judging and Interviews

Judging will take place online and over Zoom on Tuesday, March 5, from 10:00a-2:30p (judges only). Then, Elementary and Middle School students will have an opportunity to be interviewed by judges over Zoom on March 5 from 4:00pm-6:00pm or March 6 from 9:00am-11:00am. Students must have an adult nearby in order to be interviewed. Interviews at this level are not required and do not factor into grand judging. They are for experience only for young researchers to talk about their science!

Friday, March 7 – Winners List Posted

Award winners lists will be posted on Friday, March 7 at 12:00pm on our Fair website, virtualfair.sarsef.org. These lists will just signify to teachers, students, and schools that an award has been won, but will not specify the name of the award. Students and teachers should plan to attend the Awards Ceremony that corresponds with their grade level to reveal what they’ve won!

Saturday, March 8 – Community STEM Expo and Awards Ceremonies

Regardless of whether a project won or not, everyone should plan on attending the combination Community STEM Expo and Awards Ceremonies at Reid Park from 10:00am-3:00pm on Saturday! All Southern Arizona families are invited as there should be something for everyone. Bring your own blankets and chairs for awards ceremony seating, and enjoy the exhibitors, entertainment, and food trucks!

What You Can Expect

• Hands-on STEM activities from exhibitors from 11:00am-2:00pm
• The SARSEF Innovators Hall, where attendees can explore student projects from the 2025 Fair
• SARSEF Science Mart for all of your STEM swag needs
• Onstage live entertainment
• Sweet and savory Food Trucks from 11:00am-2:00pm
• Plenty of room for outdoor seating on the grass in front of the amphitheater (bring your own blankets, chairs, and umbrellas for shade)

Schedule

• 10:00a Elementary (Grades PreK-5) Awards Ceremony
• 11:00am-2:00p STEM exhibitor booths and Food Trucks open!
• 1:30p Middle and High School (Grades 6-12) Awards Ceremony

The Awards Ceremonies will not be live-streamed. Please plan to attend in-person! If you are unable to do so, unclaimed awards will be delivered to schools in the coming weeks. Full Award list with awards details will be posted on Tuesday, March 11 at 12:00pm on our Fair website, virtualfair.sarsef.org

map for community stem expo

Volunteers still needed!

It takes around 500 volunteers to make the SARSEF Regional Fair happen! We still have slots open for nearly every background, schedule, and ability. Please share these opportunities with those who can join us to make this exciting Tucson tradition a success in 2025!

OPEN VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES for Fair

Enjoy Fair Week and congratulations to all of our young scientists and engineers!

Support young scientists and engineers across the state and get recertification hours at the same time! Join SARSEF in judging projects for the 2025 Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair and receive a certificate for eight hours of professional development. Whether you have students submitting projects or you have never participated in the fair, all Pre-K through 12th grade educators are welcome to learn more about implementing research projects in their classrooms and support the work of students and classes from all over southern Arizona.  

To receive a certificate for eight hours of continuing education participants will follow one of the following tracks based on the grade levels they choose to judge:  

Preschool-5th Grade Projects  

• Research Project Seminar (on Zoom): Tuesday, February 25th 4:00pm-6:00pm 
• Elementary and Middle School Judges Training (on Zoom)
  • Pick one:
    • Tuesday February 25th- 6:00 pm  
    • Wednesday February 26th- 8:00 am   
• Project Scoring (asynchronous online): Saturday March 1st- Wednesday March 5th   
• Elementary Caucus (on Zoom): Wednesday, March 5th, 2025 10:00am – 11:30am  
• Elementary Student Interviews (on Zoom)
  • Pick one:
    • Wednesday, March 5th, 2025 4:00pm-6:00pm
    • Thursday, March 6th 9:00am-11:00am

6th-8th Grade Projects  

• Research Project Seminar (on Zoom): Tuesday, February 25th 4:00pm-6:00pm  
• Elementary and Middle School Judges Training (on Zoom)
  • Pick one:
    • Tuesday February 25th- 6:00 pm  
    • Wednesday February 26th- 8:00 am    
• Middle School Project Scoring (asynchronous online): Saturday March 1st- Wednesday March 5th   
• Middle School Caucus (on Zoom): Wednesday, March 5th, 2025, 1:00pm – 2:30pm   
• Middle School Student Interviews (on Zoom)
  • Pick one:
    • Wednesday, March 5th, 2025 4:00pm-6:00pm
    • Thursday, March 6th 9:00am-11:00am

High School Projects 

*Judging at the High School projects requires a degree in the category field. Qualifications are detailed during registration.*

• Research Project Seminar (on Zoom): Tuesday, February 25th 4:00pm-6:00pm  
• High School Judges Training (on Zoom)
  • Pick one:
    • Wednesday February 26th – 6:00 pm   
    • Thursday February 27th – 8:00 am  
• High School Project Scoring (asynchronous online): Saturday March 1st- Tuesday March 4th   
• High School Interviews and Caucus (in person at U of A Student Union Ballroom)
  • Pick one (based on category selection):
    • Tuesday, March 4th, 2025, 8:30am – 1:00 pm  
    • Tuesday, March 4th, 2025, 12:00pm -4:30 pm  

How to register

Sign up for judging the grade band and category of your choice and indicate you are a teacher who would like to receive PD hours when prompted.  Once your registration is complete you will receive a follow up email from the SARSEF Team.