National Rural STEM Summit

National Rural STEM SummitNational Rural STEM SummitNational Rural STEM Summit

National Rural STEM Summit

National Rural STEM SummitNational Rural STEM SummitNational Rural STEM Summit
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  • 2025 Registration
  • 2025 Exhibitor Proposals
  • 2025 Hotel Information
  • 2024 Summit Agenda
  • 2024 Summit Report
  • Contact
  • Rural STEM References
  • More
    • Home
    • 2025 Registration
    • 2025 Exhibitor Proposals
    • 2025 Hotel Information
    • 2024 Summit Agenda
    • 2024 Summit Report
    • Contact
    • Rural STEM References

  • Home
  • 2025 Registration
  • 2025 Exhibitor Proposals
  • 2025 Hotel Information
  • 2024 Summit Agenda
  • 2024 Summit Report
  • Contact
  • Rural STEM References

Mark your Calendars for RSS25 Aug 26-29, 2025

Thank you to our 2024 Attendees, Presenters, Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Elected Officials - the Organizing Committee would like to extend a heartfelt thank you. We all hope you enjoyed your time in Tucson and came away with new ideas, new energy, and new friends. We hope to see you in 2025!

2025 Registration Links

Summit RegistationHotel Registration

A Peak into the SumMit - Sample of day 1

DoD STEM Ambassadors and DCEC Partners

DoD STEM Ambassadors and DCEC Partners

DoD STEM Ambassadors and DCEC Partners

Join Arizona's 2025 DoD STEM Ambassadors, Kim Alva de Lara and Brienne Loya along with TIES STEM Ecosystem Director - Jenny Frank, and SciTech's Executive Director - Jeremy Babendure as they discuss the role of the Deparment of Defence in STEM Learning Opportunities. At Arizona Rural STEM Summit, our mission is to provide education and re

Join Arizona's 2025 DoD STEM Ambassadors, Kim Alva de Lara and Brienne Loya along with TIES STEM Ecosystem Director - Jenny Frank, and SciTech's Executive Director - Jeremy Babendure as they discuss the role of the Deparment of Defence in STEM Learning Opportunities. At Arizona Rural STEM Summit, our mission is to provide education and resources to support mental health and wellness in our community.

Ashley Marquez

DoD STEM Ambassadors and DCEC Partners

DoD STEM Ambassadors and DCEC Partners

STEM Unplugged: Igniting Curiosity Through Hands-On & Minds-On Learning


Learn how to foster creativity, inquiry, and critical thinking by leveraging informal learning environments, from nature walks to maker spaces.

Cindy Schluckebier

DoD STEM Ambassadors and DCEC Partners

Cindy Schluckebier

Super-Charged Career Self-Efficacy:  Develop Students' Transferable Skills


Attendees will engage in interactive experiences to learn about the Agilities, a research-based framework, that provides a common language for students to identify their strengths and interests in the world of work.

Cori Araza

Donna Smith

Donna Smith

Expanding STEM Access: University Outreach to Rural K-12 Communities


We will highlight successful models, including hands-on STEM camps, virtual learning initiatives, school-visit and technology equity programs, long-term research with undergraduate students, and dual-enrollment opportunities specifically for rural communities. Discover wh

Expanding STEM Access: University Outreach to Rural K-12 Communities


We will highlight successful models, including hands-on STEM camps, virtual learning initiatives, school-visit and technology equity programs, long-term research with undergraduate students, and dual-enrollment opportunities specifically for rural communities. Discover what kinds of tangible resources are available for rural schools, libraries, and informal learning modalities.

Donna Smith

Donna Smith

Donna Smith

Educating Students about 

In Demand Careers in Optics


The optics industry drives groundbreaking innovations that transform our world and enhance our daily lives—from smartphones and cameras to virtual reality, night vision goggles, solar panels, lasers, and autonomous vehicles. This workshop will explore the demand for technicians, illustra

Educating Students about 

In Demand Careers in Optics


The optics industry drives groundbreaking innovations that transform our world and enhance our daily lives—from smartphones and cameras to virtual reality, night vision goggles, solar panels, lasers, and autonomous vehicles. This workshop will explore the demand for technicians, illustrate how teaching optics benefits students, and offer strategies to prepare students for high-tech careers in this dynamic field.

Max Cawley

Donna Smith

Max Cawley

Unincorporated in STEM: Navigating Political Disenfranchisement in Rural STEM Education


This session will share common vocabulary and engagement supports for interacting with populations outside of politically-designated places - ranging from how to understand consensus in places without local elections or representation, to how to name, r

Unincorporated in STEM: Navigating Political Disenfranchisement in Rural STEM Education


This session will share common vocabulary and engagement supports for interacting with populations outside of politically-designated places - ranging from how to understand consensus in places without local elections or representation, to how to name, refer to, and understand the composition of a place whose geographic boundaries may vary from person to person. From the perspective of one engagement professional who is a frequent recognized outsider, visitor, and out-group learner in small places, and a longtime museum director and STEM educator in a small place.

A Peak into the SumMit - Sample of day 2

Annette Koweek

Jenny Frank-Conklin

Annette Koweek

Fishing for a Fortune of Scientific Literacy! Experience Sensemaking Tools to Help Build Understanding of Phenomena


Put on your learner hat and experience a treasure of connected sensemaking strategies for helping learners move from their initial ideas to a shared understanding of a scientific concept.

Lisa Lewis

Jenny Frank-Conklin

Annette Koweek

Creating STEM Connections in the Maker Space World


 Maker Spaces are cultivating the next generation of STEM innovators. Whether dedicated spaces or simple mobile carts, Maker Spaces bring hands-on STEM education to life. Discover how partnering with your local libraries can elevate informal STEM programming 


Jenny Frank-Conklin

Jenny Frank-Conklin

Jenny Frank-Conklin

What are STEM Learning Ecosystems?


  Learn about the international movement around SLE, and the tools available to support the development of new SLEs and reengagement of existing SLEs.  

Meghan Smart

Loretta Cheeks

Loretta Cheeks

Clear Skies, Bright Minds: Hands-On Air Quality Exploration with PocketLab


Educators will explore how to teach students about air quality using the PocketLab, a versatile and easy-to-use handheld device. Participants will learn how to integrate the PocketLab into science lessons, enabling students to collect real-time data on environmental

Clear Skies, Bright Minds: Hands-On Air Quality Exploration with PocketLab


Educators will explore how to teach students about air quality using the PocketLab, a versatile and easy-to-use handheld device. Participants will learn how to integrate the PocketLab into science lessons, enabling students to collect real-time data on environmental factors like air quality, temperature, and particulate matter.

Loretta Cheeks

Loretta Cheeks

Loretta Cheeks

Empowering Rural Arizona Youth Through Design Thinking: A STEAM Activation Lab


Learn how the STEAM Activation Lab leverages Design Thinking to address unique challenges faced by rural Arizona communities. This hands-on presentation will introduce participants through the Design Thinking process, demonstrating how it can be applied to solve local issues while fostering STEAM skills.

Matt Cass

Loretta Cheeks

Matt Cass

The Impact of Place-Based Education on Rural STEM Identity


We will discuss the impact of both short (1 week or less) and long term place-based education activities on how a learner views themselves as a STEM-type person.

Join Arizona Rural STEM Summit in Making a Difference

Arizona Rural STEM Summit - Empowering Communities

STEM learning in rural communities shares many characteristics across vast geographies, yet it is also distinctly unique to each place. The National Rural STEM Learning Summit brings together STEM educators, administrators, STEM industry professionals, and community leaders to strengthen and elevate the quality of STEM education in rural communities through practice and dialogue. 


First launched in August 2023 in Flagstaff, Arizona, the Summit drew STEM educators from K-12 and higher education, STEM-industry leaders, research institutes, science centers and museums, community organizations, and other nonprofits to learn from STEM education experts on current methodologies and best teaching practices, participate in hands-on workshops, and to share resources and expand their professional networks. This special event helped to explore the unique challenges and opportunities of STEM education in rural communities and provide practical, workable resources and solutions for participants. 

Thank you to our Generous 2024 Summit Partners and sponsors

2024 Arizona Rural STEM Summit Photo Journey

    Capturing Our Mission: A Photo Story of 2023 Arizona Rural STEM Summit

      2025 Registration Links

      Summit RegistationHotel Registration
      • 2025 Registration
      • 2025 Exhibitor Proposals
      • 2025 Hotel Information
      • 2024 Summit Report
      • Contact
      • Rural STEM References

      Arizona Rural STEM Summit

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