Sparking Curiosity in Quantum Science
Outcome/Accomplishment
A trail of curiosity about quantum science now blazes between Arizona, New Mexico, and Minnesota thanks to the SparCQS Sparking Curiosity in Quantum Science initiative of the Center for Quantum Networks (CQN), a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) based at the University of Arizona. Developed and led by Northern Arizona University’s (NAU’s) Inès Montaño, in 2023 the mobile hands-on education program reached over 21,000 people, including K-12 students and school faculty, many of whom are from communities underserved in science and engineering education opportunities.
Impact/Benefits
The effort is aimed at inspiring a new generation of engineers that is more diverse, creative, and globally competitive. SparCQS volunteers, called “SparCQlers”, are themselves from underserved communities. The team traveled in a mobile laboratory van to remote locations across America, meeting students where they are and being role models in whom they could see themselves reflected.
Explanation/Background
SparCQS expands the traditional outreach program, bringing “hands-on” quantum science directly to rural, suburban, and urban communities through mobile lab setups. Alongside its traveling van efforts, the team previously reached thousands of visitors at the Mall of America’s Experience STEAM program, communicating science to people of all ages in both English and Spanish, as well as in isolated Native American reservations in rural Arizona.
CQN’s initiative collaborates with regional partners including ¡MIRA! (NAU’s Materials Science Research and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in STEM center), the NCI-SW (Nanotechnology Collaborative Infrastructure Southwest), and the Center for Broadening Participation in STEM at Arizona State University.
Location
Tucson, Arizonawebsite
Start Year
Microelectronics and IT
Microelectronics, Sensing, and IT
Lead Institution
Core Partners
Fact Sheet
Outcome/Accomplishment
A trail of curiosity about quantum science now blazes between Arizona, New Mexico, and Minnesota thanks to the SparCQS Sparking Curiosity in Quantum Science initiative of the Center for Quantum Networks (CQN), a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) based at the University of Arizona. Developed and led by Northern Arizona University’s (NAU’s) Inès Montaño, in 2023 the mobile hands-on education program reached over 21,000 people, including K-12 students and school faculty, many of whom are from communities underserved in science and engineering education opportunities.
Location
Tucson, Arizonawebsite
Start Year
Microelectronics and IT
Microelectronics, Sensing, and IT
Lead Institution
Core Partners
Fact Sheet
Impact/benefits
The effort is aimed at inspiring a new generation of engineers that is more diverse, creative, and globally competitive. SparCQS volunteers, called “SparCQlers”, are themselves from underserved communities. The team traveled in a mobile laboratory van to remote locations across America, meeting students where they are and being role models in whom they could see themselves reflected.
Explanation/Background
SparCQS expands the traditional outreach program, bringing “hands-on” quantum science directly to rural, suburban, and urban communities through mobile lab setups. Alongside its traveling van efforts, the team previously reached thousands of visitors at the Mall of America’s Experience STEAM program, communicating science to people of all ages in both English and Spanish, as well as in isolated Native American reservations in rural Arizona.
CQN’s initiative collaborates with regional partners including ¡MIRA! (NAU’s Materials Science Research and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in STEM center), the NCI-SW (Nanotechnology Collaborative Infrastructure Southwest), and the Center for Broadening Participation in STEM at Arizona State University.