Paul Gibbins
North Central Regional Manager
Iowa State University
1259 Stange Rd
Ames, Iowa 50011
515-294-0645 (office)
515-203-7247 (mobile)
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STEM Event Calendar
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February
Feb 1-Apr 20
Feb 23
STEM Night at Kemper
Catholic High School
Carroll
Feb 24-25
Feb 25
ISU, Ames
Feb 28
Code Iowa Workshop
AEA 267 Office
Clear Lake
March
March 2-3
Polk County Extension/4-H Portable Challenge Program Training
Altoona
March 3
March 7
Code Iowa Workshop
AEA 267
Cedar Falls
March 24
Hawkeye Community College
March 30-31
April
April 1
"Spotlight on STEM" STEM Festival
Forest City
April 3
STEM Scale-Up Program Awardees Announced
April 27-28
Des Moines
May
May 1
Deadline for nominations
June
June 12-15
ISU, Ames
June 12-July 28
June 19-22
ISU, Ames
June 21
Des Moines
June 26-29
ISU, Ames
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2016-17 NC STEM Advisory Board
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Jose Amaya
Ames
Robin Anderson
Mason City
Emily Banks
Marshalltown
David Barajas
Marshalltown
John Bonner
Vincent
Doug Jacobson
Ames
Ben Petty
Conrad
Richard Ritter III Marshalltown
Kathy Rogotzke
Mason City
Sarah Rosenblum Marshalltown
Corey Rogers
Waterloo
Camille Sloan Schroeder
Ames
Jan Westrum
Boone
Richard Wrage
Marshalltown
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#ScaleUpToSTEMUp
I
owa's
educators who want to continue inspiring their students toward STEM passions now have an opportunity!
All nine selected programs underwent a competitive review process, proving an
appeal to diverse youth, a demonstrated success in improving academic performance, evidence of integrating ST
EM concepts, fostering
business-
education-
community partnerships and tracking
records of sustainability.
Iowa's STEM Scale-Up Program is simple: Find what works, deliver it across Iowa and inspire the next generation of innovators to meet the STEM workforce demand in Iowa.
Who Can Apply?:
Any educator, formal or informal, serving Iowa students, PreK-12th grade
When to Apply: By 5 PM, March 3, 2017
Where to Apply: Online
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I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award Recipient Ben Jass
The Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council and Kemin Industries have announced the recipients of the 2017 I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award sponsored by Kemin Industries.
The North Central STEM Region's awardee, Benjamin Jass, teaches industrial technology at Webster City High School with a passion for student growth, servant leadership and strong student collaboration in many STEM opportunities. He introduces his students to a variety of STEM careers and invests heavily in the success of his students. Jass pioneered Webster City's use of Project Lead the Way and has partnered with Iowa Central Community College and other local businesses and organizations to offer credits and opportunities for his students to showcase their technological and engineering work.
This award recognizes and celebrates one teacher from each of the six STEM regions who goes above and beyond to increase their student's interest in STEM. Each recipient is recognized for their dedication in representing I.O.W.A.; by being Innovative in their methods, Outstanding in their passion for education, Worldly in the way they help students see that STEM is all around them, and Academic through engaging students in the classroom to prepare them for higher education and high-demand careers.
Each recipient was selected by a panel of judges after being nominated for the award by a colleague, school administrator, parent, student or community member and completing an application showcasing their contributions to STEM education. Each recipient will receive $1,500 for personal use and another $1,500 for their classroom.
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Ag is STEM
In Iowa, a pathway exists for Agricultural Science teachers to qualify their courses for credits in Life Science, Chemistry and Physics as well as help students meet the Regent Admission Index.
The STEM Council's working group focused on Agricultural Science and STEM set out to find ways where the two could integrate. The group's final recommendations to the STEM Council included spreading the word about their findings: Agricultural Science courses that satisfy Iowa Core standards can count for certain high school science credits, but there is an approval process to consider.
That process includes ensuring teachers are certified to teach science before getting school board approval on the match. As an example, agricultural science teachers who use CASE (Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education) in the classroom have successfully made this happen in their local school districts already, including Matt Eddy.
"The school board of Southeast Polk High School approved my animal and plant biotech course as a biology science credit," said Eddy, Southeast Polk High School agriculture teacher. "Now, students have a lot more flexibility in choosing which biology class works best for their schedule. The biology teacher was also able to offer a different environmental science because of this change, which gives students even more options in meeting their high school science graduation requirements."
And, if you don't have CASE already in your classroom, CASE: Agricultural Power and Technology is on the
2017-18 STEM Scale-Up Program menu-available to you if you apply by March 3, 2017.
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Fast-Track Iowa's Future
June Conference
Fast-Track Iowa's Future
, a conference featuring education-workforce innovations emerging across the state, will engage stakeholders in dialogue on how to grow and improve school+business partnerships, especially in STEM. The conference goal is to equip attendees with the knowledge, connections and resources to build school+business partnerships in home communities.
Wednesday, June 21, 2017 - 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Iowa Events Center, 730 3rd Street, Des Moines
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Meet
North Central STEM Advisory Board Member David Bajaras
Iowa is known for its continuous work towards paving the way for STEM educators and STEM education. But, according to David Barajas Jr., STEM doesn't just apply to people wanting to learn and work within science, technology, engineering and mathematics. STEM is more of a means of "new opportunities for kids of all walks of life."
As CEO of Marshalltown Regional Partnership, Barajas, who has a background with economic development along with municipal government backgrounds, has seen the positive effects of STEM in both a person's life and in Iowa's workforce:
"I very much enjoy the range of opportunities that STEM provides for school districts to implement. We have many strong leaders throughout the state willing to help school districts begin or enhance their STEM offers," said Barajas. "I've seen STEM be an inspiration for many students... I've seen STEM programming inspire students of all backgrounds to want to do well in all their academic subjects because of the love of various STEM classes."
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UNI launches website for STEM resources in Iowa
f
ind
STEM
Iowa.org connects visitors to an extensive collection of STEM information, resources, and opportunities in Iowa, and invites users to submit STEM-related content and events relevant to Iowans for inclusion on the website.
With the growth in opportunities that emphasize STEM, it can sometimes be difficult to navigate all the resources and programs spread across multiple websites and organizations. A new website - findSTEMIowa.org - aims to be a statewide portal for finding all things related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in Iowa. The website offers a searchable inventory of
events, programs, and resources relevant to Iowans. E
ducators in schools, afterschool programs and other educational settings may find useful links to classroom resources, STEM-related lessons and activities. In addition, parents, students, businesses and communities may find respective information about programs, camps, and how to connect to opportunities to partner, mentor, or volunteer in STEM.
Visitors to findSTEMIowa.org are invited to submit information about upcoming events and STEM activities around the state, and suggest links to STEM-related resources. Submit your suggestions using the online forms
at findSTEMIowa.org.
The site was created and launched by a team of faculty, staff, and students at the University of Northern Iowa with funding from a National Science Foundation grant (
DRL-1238211). It is independent from the Governor's STEM Advisory Council. The organizations and companies listed in the resource inventory do not indicate an endorsement from the Governor's STEM Advisory Council or UNI. The website aims to connect Iowans with the growing number of opportunities and organizations who champion STEM across the state, including those of the Council and beyond.
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Summer programs for K-12 teachers and students at Iowa State University
Are you a K-12 teacher looking for a summer opportunity that will benefit you professionally? Are you a high school teacher looking for opportunities in STEM for your students? The Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC) and the Institute for Transportation (InTrans) at Iowa State are offering programs for this upcoming summer! Participate in on-going research with ISU lab scientists and engineers in the RET and YES programs! Or learn how to bring engineering to your K-5 classroom during our Teaching in the Fast Lane workshop for elementary teachers! Most applications close March 1
st
, so apply today!
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