Amphitheater girls learn about STEM careers

Middle school girls in Amphitheater Unified School District had the opportunity to learn more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in a collaboration with Tucson Electric Power.

Fifty students from Cross and Amphitheater middle schools gathered for the Girl Power event last week at TEP headquarters in downtown Tucson, where they heard presentations from women working in STEM and participated in activities to try out their own skills.

The purpose was for students to learn more about STEM jobs that are not very visible, said Scott Weiler, a former engineering and robots teacher in the Amphitheater district who volunteered to help create the event.

“Girls can’t be what they don’t see, so we have to give them a chance to see what these fields are and then they can make a decision,” said Weiler, who now works as innovation director for the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association. “We’re just trying to give these girls a chance to see what their opportunities are.”

In the past students have visited Raytheon in Tucson and a science fair in Phoenix. All partners hope to hold the Girl Power event annually, Weiler said.

To learn more about STEM educational opportunities for students, email Weiler at scottaweiler@gmail.com.

Pima County Spelling Bee

Nathan Merrill, an eighth-grader at Legacy Traditional School in northwest Tucson, is the 2023 Pima County Spelling Bee Champion.

He secured his first place earlier this month by competing in 12 rounds for more than two hours, and correctly spelling the final word: brusque.

Karen Opoku-Appoh, an eighth-grader at Marana Middle School, was the runner-up.

The two will now advance to the Arizona Educational Foundation State Spelling Bee in Phoenix on March 18, where they will compete against winners from other Arizona counties for a chance to represent the state at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Maryland.

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The Pima County School Superintendent’s Office also recognized Zamarah Gonzalez of DeGrazia Elementary for taking third place; Chantal Newhouse of Wilson K-8 for placing fourth; and Josiah Wilkerson, a homeschooled student, for placing fifth.

STEM research grant

Stephen Beall, a teacher at City High School, was one of 52 educators throughout the U.S. selected as recipients of the Society for Science STEM Research Grant.

The purpose of the grant program is to engage students from diverse and low-income communities in independent science research projects.

Beall teaches biology, science and engineering practices and natural history at City High School and is also an adjunct life science instructor at Pima Community College. The grant will provide equipment.

“It is disheartening to ask a student to change their research topic because of the lack of the required equipment. Students often gravitate toward a less rigorous experiment when they cannot pursue the research that genuinely interests them,” Beall said.

“This equipment will provide students the opportunity to not only perform the research that interests them but also conduct research at a more grade-appropriate and rigorous level.”

The grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 are available in two forms, including research kits assembled and distributed to teachers, and funds paid directly to teachers for STEM-related equipment.

To learn more about the grant program, visit www.societyforscience.org.