Welcome to the Iowa Million Girls Moonshot Minute! This monthly publication from the Iowa Afterschool Alliance provides dozens of STEM out-of-school time professional development opportunities and activities to strengthen the quality of programs across the state. We hope that you find these resources valuable! Learn more about the national Million Girls Moonshot movement here.

Friday, April 1 at 8 a.m. CST

Life is messy and your child doesn’t always deal with clear-cut problems. Join Technovation to learn about the Engineering Design Process and how this framework can help anybody approach all sorts of complex problems both within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and out. In this session, we will focus on the different steps of the Engineering Design Process, including iteration and developing resistance to failure in STEM.

March 2, 9, and 16 from 5:30-7 p.m. CST

Are you ready to bring meaningful STEM learning into your program? This module offers educators who are new to facilitating STEM the opportunity to build supportive relationships with other educators while exploring the principles of STEM learning. This module combines an introduction to STEM facilitation with the skill of Asking Purposeful Questions.

Toolkit: 5 Strides of Math Instruction for Black, Latinx, and Multilingual students - A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction is an integrated approach to mathematics that centers Black, Latinx, and Multilingual students in grades 6-8, addresses barriers to math equity, and aligns instruction to grade-level priority standards. The Pathway offers guidance and resources for educators to use now as they plan their curriculum, while also offering opportunities for ongoing self-reflection as they seek to develop an anti-racist math practice. The toolkit “strides” serve as multiple on-ramps for educators as they navigate the individual and collective journey from equity to anti-racism.

Activity Spotlight: Preparing Rural Middle Schoolers for Future Work - MPACT’s hands-on, minds-on projects will engage students in using low-tech and high-tech materials—everything from quick-drying clay to 3D printers—in the service of learning mathematics and computer science with creative STEM-rich activities.

The below assets are free profile videos and photos of IF/THEN Ambassadors. These can be used in marketing, presentations, social media, embedded on websites, during conferences, and so much more.

Activities: Make Math Joyful - MathCommunities.org is creating an inclusive community around math by providing free access to joyful, collaborative activities designed by professional mathematicians and educators for K-12 students and teachers.

Research: Engaging Families In Mathematics Education - Families are a child’s first educator and this role does not halt on day one of school. Families lay the foundation for future educational success. When schools, families and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.

The Mizzen By Mott app delivers inspiring and engaging activities that spark learning in young people. Supported by the Mott Foundation, Mizzen is available at no cost to afterschool professionals! Encourage partners to download the Mizzen By Mott app to access STEM activities at your finger-touch! You’ll find it in Mizzen here.