About PESI Tucson

Who Is PESI?   

Partners for Equitable Science Instruction (PESI) is a nonprofit 501(c) organization started by retired science education specialists who spent many years at the school district level providing teachers with professional development and support. PESI’s mission is to advocate for and support equitable science instruction for all students in Tucson schools. The primary way to achieve this goal is to support student learning through professional development for teachers and administrators.

PESI Board 

Becky Cavazos, Peggy Herron

PESI Leadership

Debbie Black & Esther Witt – Co-Presidents

Becky Cavazos & Marleen Lyon – Past Co-Presidents

Caryl Crowell – Secretary

Janine Malkin – Treasurer

Barbara Casanova – Communications Coordinator/Website Manager

Jaime Camero & Ginny Beal – PESI Newsletter Coordinator & Editors

PESI currently has about 300 supporters, both retired and current educators and university personnel, involved with science outreach.  As agents of change, we work with teachers, principals, school board members, TUSD leadership, the mayor of Tucson, Cooper Center for Environmental learning and UA College of Education.

 PESI’s first big project was an Arizona Community Challenge Grant funded by the US Forest Service (USFS) and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (AZDFFM). The grant offered professional development for teachers in the areas of ecosystems connected to water conservation and the benefits of trees.  PESI Volunteers travelled to local Tucson area schools to offer guidance and support for the lessons associated with the grant.  Such a fabulous and rewarding experience for everyone involved!

PESI Volunteers, with the direction and guidance of Meg Gebert,  worked all summer and beyond on updating the TUSD Science Kits for grades K-6.  The science kits were cleaned and materials were restocked.  Some of the grades received new science kits which were inventoried and prepped for use for the 2021 school year.

PESI Instructors Caryl Crowell, Becky Cavazos and Stephanie Pederson, presented a Life Sciences Workshop in collaboration with Colin Waite from Cooper Center for Environmental Learning.  The participants were able to get closer to nature as they experienced Camp Cooper’s 3rd grade field trip porgram.  The workshop included hands on activities, hikes and classroom instruction.  The team met their goals of helping improve classroom science instruction and were defintately able to get teachers excited about field trip experiences with their students.

PESI’s latest project was a four-part series of online Zoom classes called Observing Nature; Nature Journals & The Intersection of Science, Literacy and Art.  Nature journals were used to help teachers expand their students’ understandings of the natural world.  Science journaling gives students a place to generate, expand, document and explore observations, ideas and reflections. The ZOOM classes were presented by PESI Instructors Rachel Carpenter, Caryl Crowell, & Stephanie Pederson in collaboration with the Cooper Center for Environmental Learning, and with financial support from the Davis Memorial Scholarship Fund.  Participating teachers received a $150 stipend for their attendance and participation in all four Zoom sessions.

CONTACT PESI to find out how you can get involved!

Partners for Equitable Science Instruction provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

PESI TUCSON

Join us for our next

Quarterly PESI Meeting

Saturday, January 25, 2025

10am  – 11:30am 

Beyond Bread on North Campbell Ave

10.26.2024 PESI Meeting Minutes

01.25.2025 PESI Meeting Agenda

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Join PESI for our Quarterly PESI Meeting this Saturday,  October 26, 2024,  at Himmel Park (west of the library).

Bring your own beverage and a chair.

Yummy snacks will be provided. 

There will be science book giveaways and information about PESI Scholarships to attend the ASTA Conference. 

Jim Click Raffle Tickets will be available. All ticket stubs are due at this meeting.

10.26.2024 PESI Quarterly Meeting Agenda

7.27.2024 PESI Quarterly Meeting Minutes

Hope to see you this Saturday!

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ASTA 2024 Conference Scholarships Available

Welcome to our new PESI Supporters! 

PESI is very happy to announce that twenty new PESI Supporters signed up at 

 the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum’s Teacher Appreciation Night!

We look forward to seeing all of our supporters at our next PESI Meeting October 26th.

Partners for Equitable Science Instruction’s

  next Quarterly Meeting is Saturday, October 26th at 10:30 am at

 Himmel Park, 1000 N Tucson Blvd,  85716

We usually grab a spot under some shade trees  on the 

west side of the library and set up a table for a pot luck brunch.

PLEASE  RSVP to  pesitucson@gmail.com  if you plan to attend.

10.26.2024 PESI Quarterly Meeting Agenda

7.27.2024 PESI Quarterly Meeting Minutes

HELP WANTED!

The TUSD Science Resource Center (SRC) has already received some of the newly adopted science materials.  Help is needed to inventory and organize the materials into boxes & bins for the kits that get delivered to TUSD schools.

You can email Becky C. ( rbcavazos@comcast.net )  or Peggy H. ( pegadoh@gmail.com )  directly, to check the work schedule and let them know when you are available. This is a great opportunity to help out and get a peek at the new middle school science materials too.

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Welcome to Partners for Equitable Science Instruction (PESI) Tucson,  home to Tucson’s  most passionate science enthusiasts!  We are a nonprofit 501(c) organization committed to supporting effective and equitable science instruction for teachers and students in Tucson area schools.  We provide science news and information, support science education and opportunities, and offer science professional development and volunteer support for Tucson area classroom teachers.

Sign up for our PESI NEWSLETTER  

 We are looking for science enthusiasts

for the PESI group! 

 It is FREE and EASY!  Simply send us an email to let us know you are interested, and we will add you to the PESI email list.  Everyone is welcome, including science buffs, local teachers, administrators and retirees.

You will have opportunities for . . .

• Quarterly PESI Newsletters to be emailed directly to your inbox

• Invitations to PESI Science Workshops and PESI grant opportunities

• PESI Website resources, news and information related to science

• Active participation with PESI Supporters and Committees

• Volunteering  with local teachers & schools

• Invitations to participate in fundraising events for PESI

    You are welcome to participate in a way that best suits your needs.

Click here to connect with PESI 

Join us as we work together to help keep

science education

a priority in our Tucson area schools.

For more information,  CONTACT  PESI !

Please take a minute to check out our website! 

Click on  ABOUT  and  PHOTOS to see what PESI has been up to.