EVENTS
SCOP hosts a range of engaging events and workshops designed to advance our mission of fostering innovation and education in optics and photonics. Through these gatherings, we aim to empower industry professionals, educators, and students with the knowledge and tools to excel in this dynamic field.
Optics Technology Professional Development Workshop
Title Sponsor
Sponsored By
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Thanks to all the teachers who attended this years event! We spent June 4th and 5th with 16 amazing educators providing hands-on training in optics, enhancing their ability to introduce students to this exciting field. We look forward to seeing more teachers and colleagues next year!
“It’s rare to attend professional development that feels so
thoughtfully planned and respectful of our time. You
created a space where we could fully focus on learning and
growing, something I’ve deeply appreciated…I walked away
feeling inspired and excited about how I can bring optics
into my K–8 classrooms”
~ MS Teacher, Vista Grove Prep. Academy ~
When: June 4th & 5th, 2025 ~9am - 4pm
Where: JTED Bridges Campus
3300 S Park Ave
Tucson AZ, 85713
Schedule:
Day 1 (Weds. June 4th):
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Overview of the Optics & Photonics technology field
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Hands-on Lab activities
Day 2 (Thurs. June 5th):
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Hands-on Lab activities
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Q&A
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Presentation of teaching materials and certificates
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Optics company tours
Stipends & Accommodations: A $450 professional stipend was given to all participants who attend and complete the workshop. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks were provided.
Tucson Festival of Books
SCOP will be participating in 2025's Tucson Festival of Books! Come by our booth in Science City from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. March 15th - 16th. We invite you to learn about optics and the community, see fun optics elements and demos, and take away free goodies!
SARSEF Science Fair
SCOP is sponsoring a $100 prize for the best middle school or high school science project at the 2025 SARSEF Science Fair.
Congratulations to 8th grader Ella Harden for her project "How do Different Wavelengths of Light Affect the Germination of Pinto Beans?"
Southern Arizona Tech + Business Expo
The Southern Arizona Tech + Business Expo on October 16th, 2024! The Expo, hosted by the Arizona Tech Council, will feature over 400 Arizona tech businesses and tech leaders. We will be hosting a booth in the Optics Pavilion to discuss our mission and seek partners for future programs and events.
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Thanks for stopping by and seeing us! We enjoyed meeting you and learning about your work and discussing our mission with you.
Spark Photonics Collaboration
SCOP is partnering with the Spark Photonics Foundation in 2024 - 2025 to bring additional education about photonics for local K-12 teachers to share with their classrooms. The Spark Photonics Foundation is a non-profit founded in 2019, and is located in the Boston area.
Program Highlights:
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Project based learning program requiring ~2-3 hours training for teachers. There are 6 touch points throughout the program, each a single class (~1 hr) in length. Teachers can either run these consecutively or over a semester.
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No funding is required from host pilot schools. A perpetual license allows teacher and school to run the program indefinitely after training.
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Projects have 4 phases: Project identification, development, business model creation, and "The Pitch".
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A community-based industry exploration phase allows students to explore local business and get hands-on experience and tours from local professionals.