Northwest Iowa STEM Newsletter

September 2022








Mary Trent
NW Regional STEM Manager
Contact me at mtrent@iowalakes.edu
Northwest Regional Advisory Board Members

Tina Benton,

Sioux City

Ben Bouza, 

Hawarden

Beth Bunkers, Primghar

Tyler Hahn,

Cherokee

Lex Jacobson,

Ida

Jordan Menning, Rock Rapids

Andrew Roelfs,

Sioux Center

Mary Skopec,

Spirit Lake

Brenda Welch, Meriden


Check out NW STEM Web Site!

Stay up-to-date on all Northwest STEM regional opportunities and even a few statewide. Use this calendar to share your STEM events with others.


Check out the STEM lending library for educators and place your order online.
Don't forget to connect with NW STEM on social media as well!
Check us out on Facebook:

@NWSTEM Region


Follow us on Twitter:

@NWIowaSTEM

Invite a friend or colleague to sign up for this newsletter:

CSE Mentorship Project 

Request a Mentor

2022-23 STEM Scale-up

Professional Development Continues

We are excited to announce that we have awarded 301 educators in the NW with STEM Scale-Up Programs. 19,622 youth will be participating in these programs in the upcoming school year. Awarded Educators will participate in professional development sessions this summer. Here is a link to all the organizations and schools that were awarded. Some of our sessions were in person and some were virtual. We have an exciting Scale-Up year ahead of us!  Pictured below is Ioponics and Tiny Techies.

Carroll County Lunch & Learn

Carroll County Educators and Business Partners are encouraged to join us on September 19, 2022, from 11:00-1:00 at the St. Anthony Regional Hospital for a Lunch & Learn. Participants will enjoy a nice lunch as they have table discussions, network with others, plan events and partnerships, presentations from successful education/business partnerships and learn about the Iowa STEM Council programs. Let's build our future workforce in Carroll County! 

Click Here To Register To Attend
Registration is Now Open for the 2022 Future Ready Iowa Summit
The Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council will be hosting the 2022 Future Ready Iowa Summit on September 21. The Summit brings together Iowans from business and industry, education, nonprofits, elected officials, students and others to amplify the public conversation about solutions for connecting education and the workforce.

AGENDA
 
  • Keynote speakers include Astronaut Raja Chari from Waterloo (invited) and MacArthur "Genius" Dr. Lisa Schulte-Moore of Iowa State University (confirmed)
  • Iowa futurists interviewed live by Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell
  • Presentations from Iowa leaders sharing resources and supports for your innovation
  • Exciting people and projects presenting a slew of options for Iowans to be Future Ready
  • Showcasing 30+ local innovations in education and workforce development
 
Admission is free of charge. Free license renewal credit and substitute teacher reimbursement is available for practicing PreK-12 educators.
Registration for Future Ready Summit

Computer Science is Elementary Mentorship Project

A new project has been launched, Computer Science is Elementary Mentorship Project. The Computer Science is Elementary (CS is E) Project Schools Mentors will provide guidance and support to other elementary schools across the state that are creating and implementing their Computer Science plans for their district in line with the Department of Education legislative requirements. We hope this mentorship help schools to will meet the Iowa Department of Education legislative requirements with high engagement and fidelity. NW STEM Regional Manager, Mary Trent and NW AEA Consultant, Erin Chute will manage the mentors.

To Request a Visit from a CSE Mentor

NW STEM Professional Development at Mid Sioux Opportunities

NW STEM offered a Professional Development session for preschool teachers from the Mid Sioux Opportunities region.  Preschool teachers learned about the STEM Council's programs and the NW STEM checkout system.  Many kits were checked out by the teachers to integrate into their curriculum that day!  Have a great school year all! 

NW STEM Regional Board Tours Lake Okoboji and Lakeside Labs

The NW STEM Advisory Council held their August meeting at Lakeside Labs in Milford on August 19.  After our meeting, we were treated to a boat ride on Lake Okoboji where we learned about plant life, fish, and the water changes.  We also had a chance to see their buoy where they have placed many sensors to read changes in temperature, algae, and other aspects of the lake and how it effect the animals and plant. 

Interested in Becoming a
NW Advisory Board Member?
We are actively seeking members who represent:
  • Regional Workforce Development
  • STEM Teacher
  • Local Government
  • Economic Development/Chamber of Commerce
Apply Here
Share your Scale-Up Story with Us!
Were you awarded a Scale-Up Program this year? If so, please share your story and pictures with us! We will share your story in our newsletters and social media. Invite me out to see the Scale-up Program in action! 

NW STEM Checkout System is OPEN!

NW STEM Checkout system has many great STEM Scale-Up kits as well as other materials perfect for classrooms, homeschools, libraries, and after school groups! And the best part, everything is FREE!!

We utilize the AEA van system to make deliveries of all our kits. You can keep the kits as long as you need them and simply set them out for the AEA van to pick up. It's as simple as that!

You can find a complete list of our items and check out form here: