Arizona Science Center

TO INSPIRE, EDUCATE AND ENGAGE CURIOUS MINDS THROUGH SCIENCE.

IN FISCAL YEAR 2021, ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER WAS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC DURING JULY AND MOST OF AUGUST. ONCE THE CENTER WAS ABLE TO SAFELY REOPEN IN LATE AUGUST, 2020, ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER WELCOMED OVER 440,000 ANNUAL VISITORS, BOTH ONSITE AND DIGITALLY. ADDITIONALLY, IN ITS MISSION TO INSPIRE, EDUCATE, AND ENGAGE CURIOUS MINDS THROUGH SCIENCE, ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER IMPACTED OVER 230,000 STUDENTS IN CLASSROOMS ACROSS THE STATE WITH OUTREACH AND TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL ATTRACTIONS IN ARIZONA AND IS THE ONLY RESOURCE OF ITS KIND IN THE STATE. ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER FEATURES A FULL COMPLEMENT OF INFORMAL SCIENCE PROGRAMMING INCLUDING MORE THAN 300 HANDS-ON EXHIBITS, A GIANT SCREEN THEATER, DORRANCE PLANETARIUM, FEATURED EXHIBITIONS, LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS, CAMPS AND WORKSHOPS, ADULT LECTURES, AND SCHOOL SERVICES INCLUDING FIELD TRIPS, IN-CLASS OUTREACH PROGRAMS, TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND ACCESS TO CREATE, A COMMUNITY-BASED MAKER-SPACE. DURING COVID, ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER LAUNCHED NEW GUIDED EXPERIENCES TO OFFER PERSONALIZED ACTIVITIES AND EXPLORATION FOR SMALL GROUPS OF 10 OR LESS. OUR GUIDED EXPERIENCES HIGHLIGHTED DIFFERENT SCIENCE TOPICS AND INCLUDED FUN THEMES SUCH AS THE SCIENCE OF SUPERPOWERS, T. REX UNEARTHED: THE STORY OF VICTORIA, YUCK! THE SCIENCE OF GROSS, AND STELLAR SCIENCE, WHICH FOCUSED ON SPACE EXPLORATION AND INCLUDED A DORRANCE PLANETARIUM PRESENTATION.ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER CONTINUED TO BE A STATE LEADER IN PROVIDING INFORMAL SCIENCE EDUCATION EXPERIENCES THAT HAVE LONG-TERM IMPACT ON THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY. K-12 TEACHERS, SCHOOL LEADERS, AND PARENTS WERE PROVIDED ACCESS TO AN INNOVATIVE COMBINATION OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES TO ENHANCE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. DURING COVID THE CENTER REMAINED COMMITTED TO SERVING THE COMMUNITY, AND QUICKLY LAUNCHED CONNECT, A VARIETY OF DAILY VIRTUAL STEM EDUCATION PROGRAMS, DIY VIDEOS, LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS, LESSON PLANS AND COACHING FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS.ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER'S VISITATION INCLUDED SCHOOLCHILDREN AND TEACHERS REPRESENTING MORE THAN 100 CITIES AND TOWNS THROUGHOUT ARIZONA WHO VISITED THE CENTER. UNDERSERVED YOUTH CONTINUED TO BE ABLE TO VISIT AT NO CHARGE THROUGH THE FOCUSED FIELD TRIPS PROGRAM. CHILDREN AND ADULTS EXPERIENCED SCIENCE ON WHEELS, OUTREACH PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT ARIZONA INCLUDING RURAL AREAS AND TRIBAL NATIONS.IN CREATE, A 6,500 - SQUARE FOOT COMMUNITY MAKER-SPACE, LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE SCIENCE CENTER BUILDING, INDIVIDUALS USE TRADITIONAL AND HIGH-TECH MACHINERY, TECHNOLOGY AND MATERIALS. GUESTS RECEIVE SUPERVISION AND TRAINING, ENCOURAGING INDIVIDUALS TO BE MORE EXPERIMENTAL, CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE, INDEPENDENT AND TECHNOLOGICALLY PROFICIENT. THE CREATE PROGRAMS WERE WHERE MAKING THINGS, EXPERIMENTING AND COLLABORATING WITH OTHERS WAS AT THE CORE OF SCIENCE EDUCATION AND INVENTION, AND THE MAKERS WERE ACTIVE, ENGAGED, PLAYFUL AND RESOURCEFUL WITH A NEWLY DEVELOPED SENSE OF CURIOSITY AND WONDER WITH NEW SKILLS AND AN INTRODUCTION TO OCCUPATIONS FOR WHICH THEY MAY BE SUITED. ALTHOUGH ACCESS TO CREATE WAS LIMITED DUE TO COVID, ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER TOOK SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR EXPERIENCES AND BROUGHT THEM INTO THE MAIN SCIENCE CENTER, AN AREA CALLED CREATE INSIDE.