By Doyal D'angelo Bolin
Southern Arizona Research, Science, and Engineering Foundation (SARSEF) is setting out to change the narrative some students may have about the prospect of becoming a scientist, or rather the accessibility of becoming one, particularly in rural Arizona communities where access to traditional scientific resources can be limited.
Since its inception in 1955, SARSEF has evolved from hosting a regional science fair to becoming a catalyst for quality STEM education in Southern Arizona.
Sharon Christie, a high school science teacher for the Center for Academic Success in Douglas, is on the frontlines letting her students know that they can do it too. The Center for Academic Success is a public charter school district, with five Title I campuses in Sierra Vista and Douglas spanning K-12.
"Most kids think that science only happens in a laboratory," Christie said. "Thanks to SARSEF, they know the sciences around us. It's accessible to everyone."
The Burton Family Foundation's partnership with SARSEF has helped make the organization's rural initiatives possible, enabling SARSEF to prioritize programming in remote communities, providing critical resources for staff to travel to underserved areas and to develop sustainable local partnerships.
These resources translate into tangible programs, including after-school STEM enrichment sessions that reach hundreds of rural students annually, professional development workshops that equip teachers with hands-on science teaching tools, and family engagement events that bring science exploration directly into community spaces. The foundation's support also helps provide materials for student projects, ensuring that resource constraints don't hinder academic advancement.
Importantly, SARSEF maintains a year-round presence in rural communities, making science engagement consistent through programming that focuses on building confidence and capability within students over time.
The organization's commitment to rural communities runs deep, dating back to its first fair which included young scientists from Bisbee, Casa Grande, and Yuma. Now celebrating its 70th fair, SARSEF has facilitated over 65,000 original projects across Southern Arizona. The organization currently showcases student projects from over 5,900 participants across 139 schools in Pima, Maricopa, Yuma, Cochise, Santa Cruz, and Pinal counties. In the 2022-2023 school year, 40% of students in SARSEF outreach programs attended rural schools.
Julie Euber, CEO of SARSEF, emphasizes the evolution students must make from passive participants to active engagers in science.
"We could throw the best science party in town with our fair, but if we aren’t moving the needle on which students see themselves as scientists and engineers, then we aren’t really fulfilling our full mission.”
For Christie's students in Douglas, a border town of approximately 17,000 people, SARSEF opens doors previously perceived as closed.
"Most of my students are first generation students here in the US," Christie said. "Now they feel more comfortable with the idea of going into higher education in this country."
This increased confidence stems from SARSEF's intentional efforts to create an inclusive environment, including providing bilingual judges at their science fair and fostering peer connections across communities.
The impact of the fair resonates deeply in rural spaces, where students often face unique barriers to STEM engagement.
Research shows that rural students have less access to Advanced Placement classes and are less likely to be in proximity to higher education facilities, which also coincides with a lower number of STEM professionals and teachers in rural communities across the country.
SARSEF addresses these challenges through a community-centered approach, building relationships with local educators, families, and industry partners.
"We're really translators between different worlds," Euber said. "Schools, universities, industry, nonprofits all speak a different language, and SARSEF operates across all those different worlds and can be a good translator across them for the betterment of students."
This translation proves especially vital given the current state of science education.
"We know that compared to reading and math, elementary school students spend less minutes on science than those other core subjects," Euber said.
Getting students to understand that science can be applied anywhere, and at anytime, is essential. To practice science is to be involved in the fabric of life.
Christie shares how her seniors, despite having completed their required science courses, eagerly volunteer for science field trips without receiving any academic credit. They also regularly engage her in discussions about current scientific developments and emerging research, noting the direct correlation between this enthusiasm and their SARSEF experiences.
"They want to go because they have an increased interest in science," Christie said.
Christie recounts how her students initially felt intimidated at the science fair but found themselves embraced by their community, as the judges moved from one poster board to another, nurturing them all through the learning process.
To learn more about SARSEF visit www.sarsef.org