Who We Are

The Arizona Science Lab (ASL) was launched in February 2009.  It is a volunteer group dedicated to stimulating students' interest in STEM and inspiring them to pursue studies and future careers in STEM-related subjects.

The Arizona Science Lab operates under the management of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a 501(c)(3) organization and is supported by the Phoenix Chapter of IEEE ( Our Sponsor ) and various community partners.

Our Motivation:  A National Need for Strong Science and Math Foundations

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a strong science-math foundation is essential for the future workforce, and yet there is a rapidly decreasing number of students who opt for degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  There is a growing concern that not enough students are adequately prepared to enter STEM fields.  Based on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 31% of 8th-grade students tested as proficient or above in science.

A large part of the problem is the lack of students’ exposure to real, hands-on, project-based science activities or the encouragement of students who might have an interest in STEM.  Studies show that if students are not exposed to STEM projects before high school, it might be too late to generate interest.

Addressing the Need

The Arizona Science Lab program addresses this problem very directly by focusing our project-based science workshops on the critical age group of 4th‒8th grade students.

  • The workshops are provided free of charge to all public schools, charter schools, and home schools in the Phoenix area, and especially may serve as a resource to state grade “C” and “D” and federal “non-AYP” and “Title 1” schools.
  • The workshops include instruction on scientific theory and principles, coupled with demonstrations and experimentation, and exciting hands-on design, build, and test engineering projects that use those principles.
  • The ASL workshops have been developed and are taught by our volunteer staff of retired and practicing engineers, scientists, and other professionals who are highly qualified in many STEM fields.
  • The workshop topics and content are designed to support the Arizona Science Standards.