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Kristine Bullock
SE Hub Manager
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Saturdays 2pm-4pm
Iowa City Public Library
Thursdays 4pm-5pm Keokuk Public Library
Davenport Public Library
Tuesdays
4:30pm-5:30pm Davenport Pubic Library
LEGO Time Thursdays 4:00 -5:00 Fairfield Public Library
Jul 15 9 am - 9 am
Wickiup HIll Learning Center
Jul 23 10 am - 7 pm Johnson Co. Fairgrounds
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| Submit Your STEM Event HERE |
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The Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council is a bipartisan collaboration of legislators, educators, businesses, students and families to increase STEM awareness and opportunities in Iowa. To learn more about STEM programming going on in Southeast Iowa, visit us at
http://se.iowastem.org.
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Teacher Externs Connect the World of Work to the Classroom
Since 2008, the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council has placed teachers into shops, plants, labs, work sites and offices for six-week summer externships.
This summer, hundreds of educators applied for over 80 placements at workplaces ranging from manufacturing (Collins Aerospace, John Deere, Climax Molybdenum, HNI Corporation and more), to food and health (Bayer), to natural resources (US Fish and Wildlife Service), to technology (ACT, VIVED and others).
Recently, we had the opportunity to visit Andy Gosse, who teaches at Assumption High School in Davenport. As part of his work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Gosse is working to develop an interactive educational booth to talk about the work of the FWS and the career opportunities available.
According to FWS biologist Tyler Porter, the Moline, IL, office of the FWS works throughout Iowa and Illinois to support conservation policy implementation across Iowa and Illinois. Since starting his externship in early June, Gosse has had the opportunity to meet with large energy companies to discuss the impact of wind turbines on migratory patterns of birds, to learn about the Mussel population in the upper Mississippi River, and to learn about habitat restoration projects along the Mississippi River. When Gosse returns to the classroom this fall, he is planning to integrate policy and conservation topics into his biology class, provide field visits for students and collaborate with other teachers in his building to integrate his work into their curriculum.
We also had the opportunity to visit Jessica Howard who teaches in the Lone Tree School District and is working at John Deere Davenport Works. As part of her externship assignment, Howard is working with Larry Thurman in material supply chain. Howard has had the opportunity to work on the material
acquisition side as well as the assembly side to make sure that materials are available on the assembly line as soon as they are needed. Her work has required her to work across shifts and across functional teams. When asked what is one of the important lessons she has learned, she commented that she now fully understands how important 21st century skills (communication, problem solving, creativity) are in the workplace. When she returns to her classroom in the fall, Howard plans to have her students work on a LEGO project that will require them to develop a product and create a business plan to source their materials, plan the assembly, and create a profitable budget. As part of the visit, Howard was also able to provide her superintendent, Ken Crawford, an inside look into the Iowa STEM Externship program and discussed ways to encourage more educators to participate.
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Gov. Reynolds Announces Six Additional
Computer Science is Elementary
Awards
The Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council and Office of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds are pleased to congratulate six more Iowa elementary school programs with $50,000 Computer Science is Elementary awards to kickstart and advance computer education. This increases the total number of participating schools to twelve across Iowa.
Latest awardees:
- Pocahontas Elementary in the Pocahontas Area Community School District
- Franklin Elementary in the Boone Community School District
- Hospers Elementary in the MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District
- Storm Lake Elementary in the Storm Lake Community School District
- Kingsley-Pierson Elementary in the Kingsley-Pierson Community School District
- And from the Southeast Iowa Region, we'd like to congratulate Whittier Elementary in the Clinton Community School District!
"We see technology as an extension of kids' learning. It's like a pencil or a notebook," Whittier Elementary School Principal Brian Kenney says, "Our goal is to reach every learner. Sometimes we forget our advanced kids. They deserve the same opportunities for their brains to grow as anyone else does."
The 2019 Legislature appropriated an additional $1 million for the Governor's STEM Advisory Council, which allowed the Council to designate $300,000 for the six additional schools. Private-sector partners contributed $300,000 for the first six schools, plus $50,000 for Loess Hills Computer Programming School in Sioux City, which inspired the project and will continue to serve as a resource. All 12 schools will start their programs by 2020-21.
The Computer Science is Elementary Project aligns with Future Ready Iowa, which sets the goal of 70 percent of our workforce having education or training beyond high school by the year 2025. The initiative also focuses on strengthening preK-12 education and career exploration and preparation.
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The Time is Now to Develop School- Business Partnerships
STEM BEST Grant Application Open
In 2014, the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council launched the first $25,000 STEM BEST grant application to help public and private schools develop authentic school-business partnerships to bridge the gap between school and career. The
STEM Advisory Council is now accepting applications for the STEM BEST
®
Program thru September 13, 2019. A total of 50 STEM BEST® Programs have been awarded throughout Iowa over the past five years. These programs are now creating new excitement around the state as roles and responsibilities for meaningful activities are created and refined in the K-12 educational area. Models feature public-private partnerships between schools and local businesses and are cost-shared enterprises that match the STEM Council's investment with local dollars. Further details on these awarded programs can be found at
http://www.IowaSTEM.gov/STEMBEST
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The goal of STEM BEST® Program is to unite educators and employers to expand the learning continuum from school to careers. The STEM Council has designated a portion of the state legislative funding to support the establishment of Iowa STEM BEST® Program models, preferably evenly distributed across each of Iowa's six STEM regions. Successful applicants will become an Iowa STEM BEST® Program model of the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council.
A hallmark of Iowa STEM education is the connection of classroom learning to meaning beyond the school walls. Overarching guidelines are provided to assist proposers, though ample flexibility in design is encouraged to support organic development of STEM BEST® Programs which match local strengths, challenges and resources. STEM BEST® Program models are open to public and private K-12 schools. Past STEM BEST® Program award recipients are eligible to apply for expanding current programs.
The Request For Proposals (RFP) is posted at
www.IowaSTEM.gov. To learn more about the program or to brainstorm how your school can create a successful STEM BEST program, email Kristine Bullock at [email protected].
Frequently asked questions:
1. I am a business looking to partner with a local school district. Can I apply?
Businesses and community organizations are encouraged to apply in partnership with public or private K-12 schools by submitting letters of commitment as part of the application. However, the applying entity must be the school or district.
2. How are applications submitted?
The STEM Council uses an online application system to handle all aspects of the application process. Applicants will need to create an account using the link at the bottom of this page:
https://iowastem.gov/STEMBEST/application. Once the application is submitted, community partners will receive an email asking them to outline their connection to the partnership. Partners who do not complete this portion of the application process will not be included in the application review.
3. I am looking to partner with another school or district. Can we apply together?
Yes, schools or districts are encouraged to apply together to maximize community resources. The application process will allow the applicant to add multiple school buildings or districts. The lead school or district will serve as the financial entity and will be responsible for the required progress reports.
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#SummerOfSTEM:
Our very own SE Iowa STEM Leader Kawther Rouabhi shares her experience being a programming instructor at a tech summer camp
School is out and camp is in session! This camp doesn't have tug-of-war or swimming in a lake, well, because water doesn't mix with computers! This summer, I'm in Cleveland, Ohio teaching students ages 10-17 programming, problem-solving and artificial intelligence concepts. I work with iD Tech Camps, a network of technology camps based at colleges and universities around the US and the world.
At our camp, faculty and staff are addressed by a pseudonym or "camp name," so allow me to introduce myself as Cleopatra! I am a rising sophomore at the University of Iowa studying Computer Science and Engineering. But as an instructor, it's my job to keep students safe, entertained, and learning tons of great skills. There is curriculum offered for instructors to follow, but I get to design my own lesson plans and projects for students to get a deeper understanding. Cleo makes the rules! It is most important to me that my students realize that it's less about being the best programmer and more about being a problem-solver.
iD Tech has introduced me to the many possibilities there are for a kid to be inspired by technology. We offer classes in any and all things tech from virtual reality and game design to YouTube and videography to coding and machine learning to 3D printing and robotics and more. Having these options available for kids and parents allows them to find where they belong and pursue their passions. Introducing STEM to children works best in a hands-on learning environment, especially one with choices for kids to decide what they want to learn.
This idea of open learning in STEM will also make way for more girls and minority students to be involved and discover what makes them think creatively. As an instructor, my classroom is a safe space for students of all backgrounds to learn about what they want and use practical skills, and this is the same environment we should strive to create in all workplaces.
I am having a blast teaching tech skills to the next generation of big thinkers! Though iD Tech has yet to come to Iowa, there are plenty of summer camps to take advantage of this summer near your hometown. To see the list we've compiled, visit Summer Programs List 2019.
Have a great #SummerOfSTEM!
Kawther Rouabhi
Assistant to SE Iowa Regional STEM Manager
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Available Resources
A collection of resources for STEM educators, businesses, and community members
Virtual Reality Headsets
6 Virtual Reality 3D headsets are available for checkout. Students can use the headsets to view STEM career videos, explore the world beyond the classroom and much more. Educators will need to have access to Apple or Android device to use with the glasses (typically student's personal device). If interested in checking out the glasses, click
here.
Pint Size Science Kit Check-Out
New BeeBot mats have been received and are available for checkout! Four types of kits from the Science Center of Iowa that are designed for 3-5 year old students are currently available for checkout. If interested in checking out a kit or for more information on the kits that are available, click
here.
Renewable Energy Activity Kits
The Southeast STEM Hub is proud to partner with the ATEEC Interactive Learning Lab at Eastern Iowa Community College to offer renewable energy activity kits to educators throughout the southeast region. Thanks to the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust, ATEEC is able to offer a variety of kits that are sure to engage any student.
If interested in checking out a kit or for more information on the available kits, click
here
A World In Motion Activity Kit Check-Out
Three types of kits designed for primary or elementary students are currently available for checkout.
If interested in checking out a kit or for more information on the kits that are available, click
here.
Materials may be checked out for 6 weeks. They can be picked up and returned at the Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa, 2301 Oakdale Boulevard, Coralville, IA 52241
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Please replace any consumables you use.
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Sincerely,
Kristine Bullock
SE Iowa STEM Manager
[email protected] |
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