Making STEM More Accessible: My Visit to the Foundation for Blind Children
By Arizona Chief Science Officer Shireen Recently, I had the opportunity to tour the Foundation for Blind Children (FBC), and it gave me a completely new perspective on what it means to make STEM accessible. Before my tour, I knew that FBC supported people with visual impairments, but I didn’t realize how many different ways […]
Celebrating Student Leadership at the 2026 STEMMYS Showcase
On May 20, Arizona Chief Science Officers (CSOs) gathered at Glendale Community College for the 2026 STEMMYS Showcase to celebrate student leadership, innovation, and impact. As members of the Arizona Leadership Council, we spent the 2025–2026 school year planning the showcase to provide students with an opportunity to present the Action Plans they developed to […]
Ready and Set: This Spring, Avondale’s Chief Science Officers are On the Go
If you’ve spent any time around Avondale Elementary School District’s Chief Science Officers this year, you know one thing is true: these students are busy, and they mean business. From marching in the Billy Moore Day Parade in August to refining engineering prototypes this spring, AESD CSOs have packed this school year with meaningful STEM […]
Arizona Chief Science Officer Launches Game Development Program to Inspire Future STEM Leaders
Have you ever wanted to build your own video game or even your own computer? One Arizona student is working to make that possible for kids across the state. My name is Samir Villalva, and I am a freshman at ASU Prep Casa Grande and a Chief Science Officer (CSO). As part of my CSO […]
Pathways to Potential: Making STEAM Accessible for All
By AZ Chief Science Officer Shireen As the world increasingly relies on technology and innovation, the demand for STEAM careers (Science, Tech, Engineering, Arts, and Math) has skyrocketed. From artificial intelligence to brain-computer interfaces, STEAM is crucial to a country’s economics, innovation, security, and competitiveness. Despite this increasing demand, millions of students worldwide lack access […]
Voices for the Future: My Mission for a Sustainable Arizona through SWISE
By AZ CSO Mays – Chief Science Officer | Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE) Ambassador | ASU Preparatory Academy – Downtown Phoenix My name is Mays, and I’m currently an early grad high school junior at ASU Preparatory Academy Phoenix. I was first introduced to the SWSIE through the Chief Science Officers program. In 2024, […]
The Role of Virtual Reality in Education: A Game-Changer for Learning
This article shows how one 8th Grade Science Teacher and AZ CSO Advisor values the benefits of virtual reality (VR) as a means of fun and safe educational exploration
An Aeronautical Action Plan: Inspiring the Next Generation of Drone Enthusiasts
By AZ CSO Bilal, 9th grade, Maricopa County Last year, I had the chance to organize a drone flying event as part of my Action Plan, and I have to say, I’m so glad I did! The whole idea was to get people excited about drones and show them how amazing and fun this technology […]
CSO Arizona Leadership Council Explores RSV Argo
By AZ CSO Marek June 17-19, 2024 —The Chief Science Officers Arizona Leadership Council trip to Seal Beach, CA to see the sailboat RSV Argo was a great experience that helped us learn, but mostly enjoy, the science of sailboats and marine biology. We arrived first at Douglas Thorpe’s quarters, where he gave us tips, […]
Not So Perfect Spheres: The Science of Planetary Shapes
AZ CSO Marek astronomy mini blog shares the interesting reasons why planets may not be as spherical as they appear.