IN THIS ISSUE
New STEM BEST Opportunity to Expand Career-Linked Learning
STEM Council Helps Teacher Shortage Through RAPIL Scholarships
Support in Place for Teachers to Pursue Latest High-Demand Skills
STEM Council Launches Interactive Program Map
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April 22, 2022 - 10:00 a.m.
Northwest Regional STEM Advisory Board Meeting
May 13, 2022 - 2:30 p.m.
South Central Regional STEM Advisory Board Meeting
May 16, 2022 - 10:00 a.m.
Northwest Regional STEM Advisory Board Meeting
May 18, 2022 - 12:00 p.m.
Northeast Regional STEM Advisory Board Meeting
May 19, 2022 - 11:00 a.m.
Southeast Regional STEM Advisory Board Meeting
May 20, 2022 - 12:00 p.m.
North Central Regional STEM Advisory Board Meeting
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New STEM BEST Opportunity to Expand Career-Linked Learning |
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Students involved in the STEM BEST Program at St. Theresa School in Des Moines
engage with local businesses partners on projects that allow meaningful and
professional learning experiences.
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Re-envisioning recyclable materials into usable products, developing entrepreneurial skills through student-run storefronts, taking on leadership roles at community and live events, simulating advanced manufacturing and healthcare experience through school business partnerships. These are a few of the many career-linked opportunities the STEM BEST Program is creating in Iowa.
Applications are now being accepted for schools to get involved in their own workplace experiences through the STEM BEST (Business Engaging Students and Teachers) Program. The program helps introduce students to businesses and career opportunities in Iowa while also gaining career-ready skills.
The STEM BEST Program encourages teachers and industry professionals to develop a career-linked learning model that incorporates STEM subjects like mathematics and science with experiential learning opportunities to emphasize the necessary skills for the workplace. The awards can be used for curriculum development and coordination, educator training and development in workplace-classroom integration, and preparing the career-linked learning environment.
The application is available to Iowa public and non-public school buildings and school districts serving students in grades K-12. The deadline for submitting applications is May 9, 2022.
The STEM Council has designated a portion of the state legislative funding to support the establishment of Iowa STEM BEST Program models 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 total of 118 investments have been made in 131 schools to establish STEM BEST models.
Past STEM BEST Program award recipients are eligible to apply for expanding current programs. Award recipients for the 2022-2023 STEM BEST Program will be announced in summer 2022.
For more information about the STEM BEST Program or to submit an application for the program, visit www.iowastem.org/STEMBEST.
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STEM Council Helps Teacher Shortage Through RAPIL Scholarships |
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Scholarships for the RAPIL Program are now available through the STEM Council for professionals interested in pursuing a STEM teaching career. |
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The Governor’s STEM Advisory Council is helping to answer the demand for qualified teachers in high-demand fields. Twenty-two STEM scholarships are now invested in teachers-in-training who are transitioning from other professions through the Regents Alternative Pathway to Intern Licensure (RAPIL) Program. RAPIL is an efficient, rapid pathway to teaching. It is a collaborative effort between the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa to bring the talents and expertise of working professionals to the classroom.
The STEM Council offers the RAPIL Scholarship for STEM Professionals interested in teaching in STEM fields in Iowa schools upon program completion.
Current STEM scholars in the RAPIL program share their impressions:
Former engineer and U.S. Air Force veteran David McMurrin said, “The RAPIL students are set up to make an easy transition out of the business world. There is a lot of new material, but at the same time, we are given everything we need to succeed.”
Former healthcare laboratory technician Kari Buck said, “RAPIL classes coincide with our field experience so we can apply learning in our classes directly to the classroom. When our classes started in August, to think at that time that we were going to be in a classroom in a year was overwhelming. At this point, I feel very comfortable going into a classroom.”
Former physical therapist Christopher Kipp said, “I had preconceived notions about what a classroom is like. Technology has changed a lot, and I’m adding a lot of tools to the toolbox. Adaptability is essential as a teacher.”
Former actuary Amy Jurasek said, “I’ve had a lot of career choices. As I get older, I realized something is missing. I wanted to have more impact on people’s lives. I would recommend the RAPIL Program for anyone further in their career but looking for something different.”
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Support in Place for Teachers to Pursue Latest High-Demand Skills |
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The STEM-LIfT Scholarship supports STEM teachers to sharpen their knowledge
and skills in these swiftly moving fields.
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Job skills needed by school graduates are evolving rapidly; to thrive in today’s workplace graduates need to command basic skills in robotics, data management, programming, modern machining and others embedded in STEM education. Teachers of STEM subjects need the opportunity for special professional development that keeps them abreast of these rapidly evolving skill trends. That’s why the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council has created the STEM Latest Information for Teachers (LIfT) Scholarship to support STEM teachers’ pursuit of these high-demand skills and knowledge for incorporating into their classes.
“This is a great opportunity for teachers and students. I love the experience of being trained alongside industry professionals. I walked in understanding electrical theory, and I left understanding how to apply it,” said Nathan Van Zante, science teacher at Lewis Central Middle School in Council Bluffs. “Ultimately, I am able to give students real-world skills that they are able to directly use in the workforce.”
Eligible fields include agriculture, computer science and technology, engineering, family consumer science, health, industrial technology, mathematics, science and STEM.
Scholarships are available up to a maximum of $1,800 depending on tuition costs. Any Iowa college or university may be selected by teacher-scholars. The catch is that the course they select must be of a cutting-edge subject in their field of teaching rather than a methodology course. Scholars write essays describing how the course update will enhance their teaching.
For summer opportunities, the application is open March 1 through April 29 with scholarships announced May 13. For the fall, the application is open June 1 through July 29 with scholarships announced August 12.
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STEM Council Launches Interactive Program Map |
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The interactive STEM ReachMap features all available data for
many STEM Council programs.
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With a mission of providing opportunities that inspire all of Iowa’s young people to become innovative, enterprising contributors to our future workforce and the quality of life in our communities, the STEM Council recently launched the STEM ReachMap.
The STEM ReachMap offers a one-stop tool to find many STEM Council programs, cumulative data and more for your community, county, legislative district, school district and more. This interactive map features many layers and allows selection of each individual program for easy access to information.
“We work with scores of partners across Iowa, from educators, parents and students to employers, non-profits and policy leaders. We needed a place where everyone could access the same useful information to guide decisions and reach the unreached,” said STEM Council Executive Director Jeff Weld.
New information will be added and the STEM ReachMap will continually be updated as STEM Council program cycles progress and new partnerships are formed.
“Each year, approximately one-hundred thousand students are positively impacted by STEM programming in Iowa communities. This tool provides local, up-to-date information about these influential programs right at your fingertips,” said Weld.
The STEM ReachMap was developed in partnership with the GeoInformatics Training Research Education and Extension (GeoTree) Center located at the University of Northern Iowa.
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Contact the Iowa STEM Operations Center by phone at (319) 273-2959
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