ASIM
ALABAMA SCIENCE IN MOTION

Alabama Science in Motion (ASIM) is the High School Science component of AMSTI. Science in Motion is a revolutionary project which originated at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, in 1986. Dr. Don Mitchell started Juniata Science In Motion program with NSF funding. Seven years after the Juniata SIM program started, a story about the program appeared on ABC News World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. Senator Fred Horn from Alabama saw the story and was determined to start a similar program in Alabama. Six months later, on May 3, 1994, the governor of Alabama signed the Alabama Science In Motion program legislation. Alabama became the first state in the nation to institute a statewide Science in Motion program. Three months after the bill was signed, In-service teacher training started on August 7, 1994.
 
There are now thirty-one Science in Motion specialists around the state serving eleven In-service regions. Each site is established at public colleges and universities around the state, where they provide resources and training to area high schools. Funding for the program is administered through the State Department of Education.
 
Science in Motion aims to provide high-tech laboratory experiences for students and effective professional development for teachers. In many instances, the equipment cost involved would be prohibitive for individual schools or systems. Sharing this equipment through Science in Motion offers equally enriching opportunities to students from different backgrounds and schools. Professional development workshops improve teacher mastery of subject matter and equipment use. Through these workshops, teachers from other school systems can network with peers, sharing content knowledge and teaching techniques. Program specialists may also team teach during classroom visits, increasing the teacher-student ratio and providing additional content knowledge.