The Science Foundation of Arizona (SFAz) recently announced the launch of the Arizona STEM Network, which has developed an innovate strategy to advance education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) studies.

With $2.2 million in nonprofit fundraising dollars from the Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation, the program will push initiatives to help Arizona children be successful in school as well as in their careers and life.

"Arizona must develop a globally competitive educational system and STEM disciplines will lead the way," said Darcy Renfro, vice president of education and coordinator of the Arizona STEM Network at SFAz. "The network will link existing STEM assets in Arizona, build on best practices and foster innovative teaching approaches for school districts to help students improve in these areas."

The Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation recently announced a new three-year, $2.1 million grant that will provide operational funding for the Arizona STEM Network, which SFAz says is staged to roll out later this year. Centering on four strategic areas, the plan will integrate STEM learning into school districts, develop and deploy an analytics system to measure effectiveness, provide teachers with training in STEM teaching and create opportunities for businesses to interact with schools.