News

50 Years of Meeting Students Where They Are at Metro High School

On May 30 METRO High School in Cedar Rapids celebrated its 50th Anniversary. To commemorate the day, a one-of-a-kind tree planting was a part of the celebration as METRO High School is the recipient of one of NASA's Artemis Moon Trees.

Wendy Batchelder, Chief Data Officer for VMware, co-chaired the STEM Council’s Career Exploration & Guidance working group.

MVP for Iowa STEM: Wendy Batchelder

With a passion for data science and equity, Wendy Batchelder applies her professional background and personal experiences to her role on the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council.

Authentic Learning Bootcamp offers a great, self-paced option for educators interested in applying for the STEM BEST Program.

Authentic Learning Bootcamp Takes Education to the Next Level

At the heart of the STEM BEST Program is authentic learning and business-education partnerships. It seems a natural fit to partner and provide support and opportunities for development to Iowa’s educators, especially amidst a world with ever changing challenges.

STEM Advisory Council members launched five working groups to make recommendations that will shape the future of STEM in Iowa.

STEM Council Strategic Planning Charts Future Course

Members of the STEM Advisory Council alongside academic, business, public policy and nonprofit leaders and passionate volunteers took part in a six-month quest to chart the course of STEM in Iowa.

Iowa's statewide STEM program is supported by seven higher education institutions operating as regional hubs.

Hub Institutions Unsung Heroes for Iowa STEM

Delivery of many critical services to STEM learners across Iowa through Scale-Up, regional festivals, and more is only possible thanks to six Regional Hub Institutions, each operated by a Regional Manager, and each jointly over-seen by a Hub Institution supervisor. And just as December brings an end to the calendar year, this month also concludes Dr.

Sam Edster-Mitchell, a biology teacher at Norwalk High School, was a 2020 teacher extern at Kemin Industries.

2020 STEM Spotlight

2020 has been an unforgettable year. While it played out differently than anyone may have expected, STEM principles were spotlighted in many ways during this pandemic year. From medical professionals addressing mitigation efforts to statisticians analyzing patterns, the impact of STEM education in our everyday lives was even more apparent.

Two-thirds of Iowans (66%) have heard of the acronym STEM.

The Future of STEM Education in Iowa

[This is an excerpt from a December 2, 2020, Des Moines Register column by executive director Jeff Weld titled “What is the Next Step for STEM Education in Iowa”]

The STEM Council and Iowa Workforce Development hosted a Webinar “The Scoop on High School Registered Apprenticeships."

Supporting Registered Apprenticeships in STEM

Inspiring Iowa’s young people to become innovative, enterprising contributors to our future workforce is part of the mission of the STEM Council. The STEM BEST Program and high school Registered Apprenticeships both work towards this goal and offer work-based experiences in preparation for future careers.

Each year, dozens of committed advocates representing business and nonprofits invest in Iowa STEM.

Investors Commit to Iowa STEM Education

Each year, the STEM Council engages nearly 100,000 students and thousands of educators to increase interest and achievement in STEM studies and careers.

Students from BCLUW engage local business partners as part of their STEM BEST Program.

Strength in STEM BEST Network

The STEM acronym goes beyond science, technology, engineering and mathematics and incorporates many other disciplines and skill sets for both students and educators. BCLUW High School Science Teacher Roberta Vanderah has experienced this first-hand through their STEM BEST Program.

Historic Number of Scale-Up Provider Proposals Leads to Fresh, New Menu

The STEM Council created an initiative eight years ago to identify some of the best STEM education lessons, activities, digital tools and other learning experiences available within Iowa and across the globe. The program is called Scale-Up, with the goal to bring top STEM education opportunities to all learners, especially those historically underserved.