News

Next Leader for Iowa STEM

Alongside Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Co-Chair Diane Young, Iowa Department of Education McKenzie Snow announced Justin Lewis as the STEM Bureau Chief under the Division of Innovation effective March 1. As Bureau Chief, Mr.

Students involved in the STEM BEST Program at St. Theresa Catholic School work on career-based projects alongside industry professionals.

Design Days to Support STEM BEST Newcomers

The STEM Council is partnering with the Iowa Area Education Agencies Online (AEA) to provide Design Days – six 30-minute mini-sessions through October and November and a one-day session in early November to share information and provide STEM BEST Program design support.

Clinton High School Mathematics Teacher completed a summer Teacher Externships at Zurn Elkay

Clinton Teachers Bring Work-World to Class after Externships

Eighty-two teachers are back in the classroom with another effective tool in their instruction toolbox following their summer STEM Teacher Externship. One school district will experience ample work-based application in classrooms after five externs from the Clinton Community School District took part in the summer program.

STEM Scale-Up Program, STEM subjects, STEM career, Iowa STEM Evaluation

Iowa STEM Assessment: The Gold Standard

The external, independent, and transparent annual evaluation of Iowa STEM provides the Council, the legislature, investors, and STEM consumers the reliable evidence they need to gauge impact.

Work-Based Learning, Iowa Students and Community Workplace

Work-Based Learning Plans: Remember when there were just twelve?

In 2022, nine Iowa school leaders came together under a partnership of Iowa STEM and the Iowa Department of Education to fashion a model for district-wide, K-12 work-based learning plans.

Nick Long, Industrial Technology Teacher at MMCRU Schools completed a summer STEM Teacher Externship at Wetherall Manufacturing.

Students Gain through Teacher Summer Workplace Experience

This summer marked another record-setting year for the Iowa STEM Teacher Externships Program. A total of 82 teachers embarked on a hands-on, exploration of local careers in 69 workplaces spanning the state.

Nearly 20 educators attended STEM Scale-Up Program training for TeacherGeek STEM Cart in West Union.

Teacher Prep Begins for Exemplar STEM Programming

Preparations are well underway by librarians, classroom teachers, homeschool networks, daycare providers and more to incorporate exemplary STEM programs during the upcoming academic year.

STEM BEST Program community partners joined the BEST STEMposium to share perspectives on fostering workplace partnerships with schools.

STEM BEST Innovators Convene to Catalyze Change

Customized professional development, sharing of best practices and networking defined the 2023 BEST STEMposium. Approximately 75 of Iowa’s leading educational innovators gathered in Okoboji for two days to collaborate, learn from the experiences of others and plot the disruption of school-as-usual.

Students participated in the STEM Scale-Up Program Daily Math Fluency at St. Anthony Catholic School in Des Moines during the 2022-2023 school year.

Calendar of Major STEM Events

The annual cycle of life for Iowa’s STEM Council is designed around reaching the overarching goals to increase interest and achievement in STEM studies and careers. By partnering with students, parents, educators, employers, non-profits, policy leaders and others, the STEM Council provides inspiring opportunities for innovation and authentic career-linked learning.

Educators took part in training for the 2022-2023 STEM Scale-Up Program Ready, Set, Drone. Scale-Up training for the coming academic is set to begin in July.

Top STEM Tools and Training Scaled to Educators Across Iowa

1,383 educators will be preparing for the upcoming academic year by attending STEM Scale-Up Program training this summer. A total of 43 training opportunities for 13 Scale-Up Programs will take place over the coming weeks to prepare teachers and other learning professionals to incorporate cutting edge STEM instruction this fall.

This summer, 82 Iowa teachers are spreading their wings into local STEM workplaces to gain work experiences that can be applied in the classroom.

Medical Centers and other Workplaces Host Summer Teacher-Externs

This summer, 82 brave and curious Iowa teachers are spreading their wings into local STEM businesses, nonprofits, government services and other workplaces to gain work experiences that can be applied in the classroom.