Citizen Science Month
April 2026
Tap into your science side at Arizona Science Center’s Citizen Science Month! Throughout the month of April, Guests will explore resources, citizen science projects around the globe and hands-on activities. This dedicated effort to include more folks in science discoveries is critical for the future of our Arizona community, country and planet!
Discover that simple acts and observations can make a big difference—and may even lead to scientific breakthroughs! Acts such as participating in a BioBlitz, uploading plant and animal life in your community to a citizen science app, or recording the weather in your area over time are just a few of the ways you can help scientists around the world make more accurate predictions, experiments and discoveries.
All Citizen Science Month activities are included with all Memberships and admission to the Science Center. Children under 3 are always FREE.
Citizen Science Month Activities
Participate in Science!
April 4, 11, 18, 25 | 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Arizona Science Center, Learning Lab
Do you have a child aged 5-8? Want to participate in active research? Arizona Science Center is hosting researchers from ASU’s Emerging Minds Lab, who are investigating how different factors such as social and teaching factors influence whether 5–8-year-old children seek out challenging tasks from a teacher. Specifically, it examines how different activity goals such as learning new things, completing tasks quickly, or playing for fun affects a child’s willingness to choose a “hard” versus “easy” teacher for a puzzle-solving task.
Included with General Admission
Meet the Scientist
April 10 & 17 | 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Arizona Science Center, Daniel Cracchiolo Theater
Jason Khoury and his Solid State Materials group from the ASU School of Molecular Sciences will be present with hands-on explorations into matter and materials. Explore crystal structures and the chemistry that makes up the solids around us.
Included with General Admission
Nature Observations 101
April 18 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Do you like observing nature? Then help science and make your observations count! The City Nature Challenge is a friendly worldwide competition among cities to see whose residents can spot and identify the most wildlife. Join Arizona Science Center on April 18 to learn how to use the iNaturalist app, sharpen your observation skills, and become a community scientist in preparation for the Greater Phoenix City Nature Challenge April 24-27.
Greater Phoenix City Nature Challenge
April 24-27
Arizona Science Center is happy to be a partner for this year’s City Nature Challenge! The City Nature Challenge is a friendly worldwide competition among cities to see whose residents can spot and identify the most wildlife. Learn more about how to participate in our workshop on April 18, or visit GreaterPhoenixCNC.com for more information.
Sustainability Fest at Arizona Science Center
April 25 | 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Discover how to live life more sustainably at Arizona Science Center’s Sustainability Fest! Explore topics like rising seas, how to reduce your carbon footprint, composting and recycling, seed germination, and more! Engage with hands-on activities, interact with community partners and vendors and enjoy a full day of sustainable science!
All activities included with General Admission
Comets, Clues and Our Cosmic Story—Do NASA Science LIVE!
April 29 | 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Arizona Science Center, Dorrance DOME
The project Rubin Comet Catchers invites participants to help find new comets and explore small, icy objects in our solar system using images from the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. By looking at these pictures, volunteers can spot comets that have never been seen before. Every discovery helps scientists learn how comets form, how the solar system has changed over time, and where icy regions that could support life might be.
Participants will learn how to recognize comet tails and fuzzy comae, and how to label objects so the Rubin Comet Catchers team can study them. Comets are leftover ice from the birth of the solar system, and studying them helps answer big questions: How did Earth get its water? What was the early solar system like? How do icy objects move and change far from the Sun?
Meet the Scientists: Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
May 1 | 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Arizona Science Center
Air Quality Awareness Week is May 4-8, and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality invites the community to Arizona Science Center for an exciting day of air quality education! The event features interactive and educational booths designed to increase awareness about air quality. Upon entering the center, attendees will be given an Air Quality Passport with instructions to visit stations where they will learn about air quality issues, how to protect their health, and ways to contribute to cleaner air for everyone! After visiting each station and making their air quality pledge, they can spin a prize wheel for exciting giveaways!
Included with General Admission
At-Home Science Activities
Turn your home into a lab with fun, easy citizen science activities—all while contributing to real research! No experience needed, just curiosity.
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Become A Member
Arizona Science Center Members enjoy year-long general admission, early entry on weekends, discounts on Planetarium and Giant Screen Theater tickets and much more. Explore our available Memberships today—they pay for themselves in as little as two visits!