At Chandler High School, curiosity is sparking—literally. The new Science is Fun Club is bringing hands-on experiments, engaging demonstrations, and plenty of excitement to campus, all while proving that science really is for everyone.
The club, advised by IB Biology 2 teacher Jaclyn Robbins, officially launched in spring 2025 after years of inspiration from a similar program at Basha High School. “Back in 2009, Basha had the Science is Fun Club for many years,” Robbins explained. “It was inspiring to hear of their successes. The whole idea is that science is for everyone—anybody from any walk of life can become a scientist. We wanted to get our students truly excited about learning.”
So far, the club has done just that. During A and B lunches, members host lively demonstrations inside the JSU, featuring everything from dry ice to lightning simulations using a Van de Graaff machine. “The students love seeing science in action,” Robbins said. “We’ve done demos with crystals that glow under infrared light and experiments showing how electricity works which allows students to collaborate, showing that science is more than textbooks—it’s full of wonder.”
Club president Karla Barrios, a senior who hopes to major in biochemical engineering, joined because she wanted to share that sense of wonder with others. “I’ve always loved chemistry and being in the lab,” she said. “But what really drew me in was the chance to show younger kids that science isn’t scary. If I had something like this when I was younger, I think I would’ve fallen in love with science even earlier.”
Looking ahead, the club plans to expand beyond campus by partnering with local elementary schools to host science nights and interactive “walk-up” stations. Robbins hopes these events will inspire younger students to see themselves as future scientists. “We really want our high school students to connect with the community,” she said. “Science belongs to everyone.”
The Science is Fun Club welcomes all students in grades 9–12 with a GPA of 2.75 or higher. As Barrios puts it, “You don’t have to be a genius to love science. You just have to be curious.”