IN THIS ISSUE
Iowa’s Indispensable Regional STEM Advisory Boards
Woodbine is Connecting Students and Business Early On
Student Staff Fill Big Shoes for Iowa
Posterized Iowans Inspire Classrooms
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April 6, 2019 - 10:00 a.m.
Dubuque Area Family STEM Festival
April 11, 2019 - 4:00 p.m.
NE Iowa Family STEM Festival - Cresco
April 13, 2019 - 10:00 a.m.
Boone Family STEM Festival
April 15, 2019 - 5:00 p.m.
Villisca Elementary STEM Festival
April 30, 2019 - 9:00 a.m.
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Iowa’s Indispensable Regional STEM Advisory Boards
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Making the dreams of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council come to life is the expanding role of Regional STEM Advisory Boards, such as the Southeast Regional STEM Advisory Board meeting at Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa recently.
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Originally designed by a taskforce of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council in 2012 as means for coordination and communication, Iowa’s six Regional STEM Advisory Boards have evolved to do so much more.
Ninety passionate STEM advocates, fifteen in each region, convene at least bi-monthly to guide the activities of the Regional STEM Manager. Around the table sit representatives of business, AEAs, community colleges, Extension, four-year colleges, libraries, informal learning, economic and workforce development, parents, elected officials, teachers and regional STEM Hub institutions. Progressing beyond voicing STEM to their subgroups, which they do so well, Regional Advisory Board members increasingly take on programmatic roles helping out with Family STEM Festivals and events, aiding the Regional STEM Manager with connections and performance reviews and, vitally, reviewing stacks of annual applications for STEM Scale-Up Programs, for I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Awards, for STEM BEST Program models and for providing feedback to the STEM Council operations team for future directioning.
Dr. Alan Ladd, Regional Extension Education Director for Region 17 and a Southwest Regional STEM Board member since inception, devotes sometimes hours per month to the task. He volunteers, like so many, as a means of giving back, helping youth to become excited about STEM and the STEM careers that lie ahead. The contributions that Alan believes Regional STEM Board members provide include connecting the Regional STEM Manager to local organizations and leaders, advocating for STEM to constituents, overseeing responsible use of funds and doing all they can to maximize impact. Alan feels it is the responsibility of Regional STEM Board members to avoid complacency through regular attendance at meetings and by also taking in events such as school programs and community STEM festivals. Iowans and the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council owe a debt of gratitude to Alan and all of the Regional STEM Board members for their devotion. Iowa’s Regional STEM Advisory Boards, bringing Council dreams to realities since 2012.
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Woodbine is Connecting Students and Business Early On
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Jenny Hall from CHI HEALTH in Dunlap, Iowa, shares her experience as a Nurse Practitioner with a group of third grade students from Woodbine Elementary School.
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As one of thirteen most recently awarded STEM BEST models, Woodbine Community School District and its community partners understand the value of engaging students with businesses. They provide their students with a unique opportunity to interact with local businesses through their STEM BEST Lunch Guest Program.
This lunch and learn experience is spearheaded by two district staff members -- TLC Leader Tracey Kelley and K-12 Technology Integrationist Shawna Harris -- who want to spark the interest of 3rd- through 5th-grade students about all of the career opportunities that are available in their own community.
Businesses from the area are invited to join a group of 4-5 students for lunch. The business representatives are asked to provide the students with a business card and share information about what drove them to choose their career, what inspired them when they were students, if/how they volunteer their time and what they enjoy about working within the Woodbine community.
Darin Smith of Arch Icon and graduate of Woodbine High School was interviewed by three Woodbine Elementary students. Two of these students are Lucas and Micah who shared their insights on the program. These young lads felt they learned a lot from Mr. Smith through the experiences he shared about his career, education and travels in the Army. The students enjoy the program and feel they would not know about Arch Icon and other local businesses without it.
Businesses are informed of the opportunity to connect with students through the school district’s social media platforms. The staff at Woodbine have had no difficulty finding local businesses to sign up and take advantage of the opportunity to share with the students. Having these meaningful conversations early on allows kids to see and appreciate an array of opportunities that are in their own backyard in Woodbine.
To engage with other innovative education-workplace partnerships emerging across Iowa, join us for the
STEM Education + Workplace Partnerships: Governor's 2019 Future Ready Iowa Summit
on April 30, 2019, at the Iowa Events Center - Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines. For more information and to register, go to:
https://iowastem.gov/2019STEMsummit
.
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Student Staff Fill Big Shoes for Iowa
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Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council operations center student assistants – (L-R) Katie, Crystal and Carissa – are teaming up on the
STEM Gem
poster mailing.
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The efforts of capable student assistants at the STEM Council operations center, headquartered at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), help support myriad high-profile programs throughout the year. Their duties range from research and development; data gathering, compilation and analysis; database creation and management; special events and meetings preparation; records maintenance; and much more.
The latest crew in a distinguished lineage of student assistants, each recruited from UNI’s Honors Program, are Crystal Barajas from Cedar Rapids majoring in Chemistry, Carissa Cummings of Spencer double majoring in mathematics and graphic technologies and Katie Dyer of Pleasant Hill double majoring in biology and biochemistry.
Crystal mainly supports the Council’s STEM Teacher Externships Program amidst a full academic schedule in addition to cheerleading for the Panthers and competing on an Ultimate Frisbee club. Carissa chiefly helps out with website maintenance and newsletter production while balancing an overloaded course schedule, making time for Math Club, Service Leadership Council and other commitments. Katie is a utility player for the operations team, diving in to any and every imaginable task with gusto while juggling coursework and training her peers in leadership as a certified Leadership in Action trainer and officer in the Phi Sigma Pi national honors fraternity.
All three of the STEM Council operations center student assistants have logged vital hours on the
STEM Gem
posters mailing this month to all of Iowa’s STEM educators across the state. (See
STEM Gem
blog at
https://iowastem.gov/blog /latest-stem-gem-poster-series
.) Overall, the STEM Council’s broad base of stakeholders are better able to grow, learn and thrive with the STEM Council because of the fruits of their labors.
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Posterized Iowans Inspire Classrooms
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Iowa State University aerospace engineering major and member of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, Kwizera Imani now joins a dozen STEM Gems adorning school walls across Iowa.
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Enacting a directive of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals, the operations team annually seeks out dynamic role models to carry the banner of
STEM Gem
to students throughout the State. The project began in 2009 with a science teacher and a naturalist presenting compelling examples for where STEM can lead. They’ve since been joined by a Respiratory Therapy instructor, an aviation electronics company CEO, a computer programmer, a food systems engineer, a graphic designer, a cockpit controls technician, a science-minded race car driver, an Air Force pilot and two more new
Gems
studying animal science and nursing.
This year’s
STEM Gems
, all Iowans as is tradition, were mailed out to 4,891 teachers of mathematics, science, technology and engineering across Iowa. Today it is hard to find an Iowa STEM classroom not adorned by a gallery of
STEM Gems
.
Lisa Benjamin, an Ankeny mathematics teacher said recently, “Several of my students commented on the one with pictures of horses when I asked which one drew their attention and why. The pictures seems to be what grabbed their attention.” And Bart Mueller, science teacher at Adel DeSoto Minburn said, “I like them and have put them up in my room in the past.”
The posters are dedicated to those young Iowans whose minds may wander to walls and windows midway through class. If the STEM Council’s
STEM Gems
poster series ensnare just one drifting mind onto the STEM career pathway, mission accomplished! Suggestions for future STEM Gems are always welcome. The complete set may be viewed here:
https://iowastem.gov/stem-gem-poster-series.
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Contact the Iowa STEM Operations Center by phone at (319) 273-2959
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