Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) has awarded $3.2 million in grants through its K-12 Student and Teacher Discovery program.

The program, which is designed to advance K-12 education within Arizona in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, accepted nine proposals from 25 submissions.

Selected programs include:

• the Arizona Science Teacher Advancement and Research Training program will receive $525,000 to help create universal online courses for biology teachers, providing preparation for research and recertification
• Mesa Public School District will receive $300,000 to expand a biomedical and genomic discovery project started at Mesa High School
• the Hands-On Optics Project, through the Tucson-based National Optical Astronomy Observatory, will receive $225,000 to enable rural elementary and middle school students to learn about optics concepts.

The K-12 grants are the third wave of awards from SFAz, which aims to build a world-class science, engineering, and medical infrastructure in Arizona by fostering innovative research and education programs.

"The K-12 Student and Teacher Discovery program supports education initiatives that energize students in science and math through innovative experiences like robotics competitions and experimentation with optics technologies," said Donald Budinger, SFAz board chairman.

"The program also brings teachers back to the research arena, providing an opportunity to reinvigorate their passion or perhaps spark a new one."

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For more information:

SFAz press release, 05/31/2007