2015 STEM RLE Awardees

Among 12 awarded STEM BEST and STEM RLE models in 2015, nine of those school districts promised to produce a STEM RLE that re-imagines classroom spaces using collaboration, technology, and decentralized instructor role.

Lincoln Intermediate School, Mason City

Lincoln Intermediate School's STEM RLE model will partner with local businesses, including Curries, Bergland & Cram Architects, Farm Bureau, and more, to redesign its library “Information Center” and allow students to collaborate, solve real-word problems and experience local STEM careers. Students will be introduced to a problem, build a solution to receive coaching and feedback from local businesses and teachers, and then present it at the school's year-end festival. The Information Center will include collaborative whiteboard tables, mobile chairs, a makerspace, chemistry area, building area, and an attached technology lab to include iPads, GoPros, and 3D printers.

Dubuque Community School District, Dubuque

Dubuque Community School District's STEM RLE model will partner with local businesses, including John Deere Dubuque Works, IIW Engineers & Surveyors PC, and more, to redesign two classrooms—one at Dubuque Senior High and one at Hempstead High School—that will allow students to collaborate with technology in a pre-engineering curriculum developed in part by partnering businesses. The physical space will include projectors with wireless access, collaborative workstations, and a web camera and microphone system for outside communication. The redesign will allow for on-site and off-site interaction with engineers in the community and potentially throughout the world.

North Tama County Community School District, Traer

North Tama County Community School District's STEM RLE model will partner with local businesses, including Tama County Conservation and the Tallgrass Prairie Center, to redesign a first-grade classroom that will allow students the technology and physical space needed to explore science at an elementary age. The physical space will include iPads to photograph and video record data, digital microscopes, and an LCD projector to connect with outside experts through video conferencing. This model hopes to be replicated at other elementary grade levels within the district in the future.

Carroll High School, Carroll

Carroll High School’s STEM RLE model will partner with local businesses, including Pella Windows, Scranton Manufacturing, Serendipity Studios, and more, to redesign a chemistry room and its library that will allow students the technology and physical space needed to conduct research and communicate with STEM experts around the world. These student-focused spaces will include various seating arrangements, a research station, a video conferencing area available by all classes, and a makerspace.

Western Christian High School, Hull

Western Christian High School’s STEM RLE model will partner with local businesses, including Rosenboom Machine & Tool, Premier Communications, Lyon Ag Services, and more, to redesign a classroom that will allow students the ability to regularly communicate with other students, teachers, local industry partners, and higher-education professionals. The physical space will include six collaborative workstation tables, projection ability on all walls, microphones and webcams at each workstation, and mobile chairs.

Albia Community School District, Albia

Albia Community School District's STEM RLE model will partner with local businesses, including John Deere, Musco Lighting, Cargill, and more, to redesign a current classroom and that will allow students the technology and physical space needed to conduct research and make real-world connections to classroom material. The physical space will include five TV monitors throughout the room and collaborative table configurations. The main goal of the room is to facilitate conversations between local industry and higher-education partners and the students and teachers in the district.

West Branch Community School District, West Branch

West Branch Community School District's STEM RLE model will partner with local businesses, including Acciona Energy, Cademartiri Labs at Iowa State University, and more, to redesign one classroom focused on STEM curriculum and another learning lab to be used for cross-curricular purposes. Both rooms will include large, touch-screen monitors to stream video from student laptops, height-adjusting desks, mobile chairs, and mobile glass whiteboards. Students will have the opportunity to engage in real-world research and engineering projects and renewable energy projects from the support of local industry partners.

Corning Elementary School, Corning

Corning Elementary School’s STEM RLE model will partner with local businesses, including Crop Production Services, Akin Building Centers, POET, and more, to redesign the library that will allow students to experience new technology and physical space across curriculums. The physical space will include whiteboard-top tables, a mobile instructor desk to move among groups, various seating options to meet student needs, and mini iPads.

Hamburg Community School District, Hamburg

Hamburg Community School District's STEM RLE model will partner with local businesses, including the George C. Grape Community Hospital, Western State Bank, KMA Radio, and more, to redesign a classroom at Marnie Simons Elementary School that will allow students to work alongside local experts to solve student-selected problems. The physical space will include several TV monitors throughout the room, a projector/interactive board for displaying student work, laptops and iPads, a clicker system for engagement, This model hopes to be replicated in the future in other classrooms throughout the district. With all of the technology available, students will be able to explore in-depth solutions to problems of their choice, and then fully implement those solutions.