The evening of October 10th marked the SE Iowa STEM Hub's first annual Johnson County STEM  Festival, bringing together nearly 1,400 children, parents, and STEM enthusiasts from across the region. The Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa proved to be an excellent facility to host the jam-packed event.

Dozens of Johnson County businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions organized booths for festival-goers to interact with. The University of Iowa's National Advanced Driving Simulator demonstrated the effects of texting and driving by having kids get behind the wheel. No licence required! Integrated DNA Technologies showed the kids how to collect and examine DNA samples. Perhaps the biggest hit of the night was the night was South Slope's Absolute Science show, featuring live demonstrations of captivating science experiments. Each activity certainly gave viewers the opportunity to learn about career fields in STEM.

Johnson County is known as one of the most diverse counties in Iowa, and its STEM Festival was no exception. Of all the attendees, an estimated 52.4 percent were of minority racial or ethnic background. The Governor's STEM Advisory Council strives to

	To view more photos, check out the #JoCoSTEMFest Facebook Album!

make STEM more accessible to children and parents of all backgrounds, and we are honored to bring together a diverse community of science and math lovers.

The SE Iowa STEM Hub Team would like to thank all attendees who came to the event, as well as the hundreds of exhibitors and volunteers that made it possible. We hope to see you all again next year! To find information about all upcoming SE Iowa STEM events, visit our Events page .

This year, the Southeast Iowa STEM Advisory Board welcomed three new members, Emily Strattan, Dan D'Alessandro, and Kate Moreland. Linda Zachar, an Advisory Board member for __ years, has assumed a chair position as of this year. We welcome all new Advisory Board members and wish them success as they strive to advance STEM in Southeast Iowa.

Kate Moreland

is the Vice President of ICAD and the Director of Career Development for ICR Iowa. She leads ICR Future, a coalition aimed at increasing career-connected learning in the region. As a part of her work, Kate works educators and industry partners alike. Her focus is developing a talent pipeline to ensure the students in this region are informed about career paths, leading to a strong workforce in the future. As a board member, Kate hopes to advance opportunities for underserved populations through STEM education.

Dan D'Alessandro

was an Electrical Engineer at Deere & Company for 40 years of service before his retirement in 2016. Through both his engineering and his management experience, Dan hopes to leverage his skills to advance Iowa STEM as a board member. He volunteers at FIRST events in Iowa and Illinois and serves as Award Chair on the Quad City Engineering & Science Council (QCESE). Dan is a strong believer in nurturing a STEM learning ecosystem from early on and taking that education beyond the classroom. A vital part of this ecosystem is project-based and hands-on learning.

Emily Strattan

is the STEM Education and Student Engagement Specialist with University of Iowa Health Care.  Each year, Emily coordinates STEM education programs for over 13,000 students across the state of Iowa.  Her successful partnerships with faculty and staff in various colleges across campus are inspiring youth to understand their own health and the exciting careers available in the health sciences.

Linda Zachar

is a partner in the Iowa Panera Bread franchise, as well as a homeschool instructor for her two elementary-aged sons. She earned her Bachelors of Arts from the University of Notre Dame before completing her M.B.A. at the University of Iowa. Linda engages in STEM opportunities in her community, from FIRST Lego League to camps and enrichment programs. As a board member, Linda enjoys developing the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council's Scale-Up programs and seeing their positive impact on students. She takes pride in the past accomplishments of the Advisory Board and is focused on maximizing students' academic potential and building a foundation for student engagement with STEM careers.

The Southeast Iowa STEM Advisory Board is made up of 15 members. To learn more about all they're doing to advance Iowa STEM, click here.

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.