Northwest Iowa STEM Newsletter

May 2021

Mary Trent

NW Regional STEM Manager

Contact me at mtrent@iowalakes.edu

Northwest Regional Advisory Board Members

Tina Benton,

Sioux City

Ben Bouza,

Hawarden

Derek Brower, Orange City

Beth Bunkers, Primghar

Tyler Hahn,

Cherokee

Kiana Johnson, Primghar

Nancy McDowell, Sheldon

Jordan Menning, Rock Rapids

Faith Miller,

Carroll

Teresa Putnam, Hartley

Andrew Roelfs,

Sioux Center

Mary Skopec,

Spirit Lake

Brenda Welch, Meriden

Mark Zabawa, Spencer

Check out NW STEM Web Site!

https://www.iowalakes.edu/stem/

Northwest STEM Calendar

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.

NW STEM Lending Resources

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

https://www.facebook.com/NWStemRegion/

@NWIowaSTEM

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

http://goo.gl/oPZmPP

Happy 10th Anniversary!

The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council is celebrating 10 years of progress made in increasing interest and achievement in STEM education for all Iowans. Iowa’s STEM Council has been a pioneer in STEM education by working with various partners and advocates across the state to introduce and expand program offerings.

Since the STEM Council was formed in 2011, nearly 1,000,000 students have been impacted by the programs and opportunities. Public awareness of STEM has greatly increased, with 70% percent of Iowans now aware of the acronym STEM. Awareness was at just 26% when the STEM Council launched.

Please consider sharing the following social media post on your channels to spread the word:

Happy 10 Anniversary, @IowaSTEM! 3,653 days of innovation, preparing #FutureReadyIowans and nearly 1,000,000 students impacted by Iowa STEM programs and opportunities! How has STEM impacted you in the past 10 years? Submit your STEM story here: https://forms.gle/hTfs6xPLCpHJT9w26

STEM Scale Up Award Results 2021-22

A total of 157 applications was received in the NW Region this year for our 12 STEM Scale Up Programs. The NW STEM Board awarded 140 applications involving 267 teachers and 16,581 students. Here is a breakdown of the results. Click here to see the list of schools and organizations awarded.

Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Announces NW Iowa's Diane Young as New Co-Chair

The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council announced that Foundation Analytical Laboratory Owner and Director of Technical Services, Diane Young, will serve as the next Council co-chair. Appointed by Governor Kim Reynolds, Young succeeds Accumold President and CEO, Roger Hargens, who served as STEM Council co-chair for three years.

In 2008, Young’s entrepreneurial vision motivated her to build an analytical laboratory from the ground up in her home community of Cherokee, Iowa. Her business acumen, as well as her experience with laboratory management, sparked her entrepreneurial passion.

Young has been a long-time proponent of STEM education. This inspiration led to the creation of her science-based business, giving STEM-educated individuals a reason to return to the Cherokee area. By providing quality, high-paying career opportunities in science and technology, she could attract young talent while enhancing her hometown economy. Her team began with two full-time employees and an intern and has now grown to 26 “highly-educated Iowa farm kids who do whatever it takes.”

“Diane Young has a passion for engaging with Iowa students and not only promoting the career opportunities that exist in Iowa—but creating additional opportunities herself,” said Governor Reynolds. “The STEM Council continually strives to give every single student across the state access to STEM education and Diane’s contributions will be invaluable as we prepare the future workforce and advance STEM in Iowa.”

Young was also the 2016 recipient of the Technology Association of Iowa’s Women of Innovation Award for Entrepreneurial Innovation and Leadership.

“I am grateful to Governor Reynolds for choosing me to co-chair the STEM Council,” said Young. “I am honored to be following in the footsteps of the rock stars that have championed this initiative and to work with the extremely talented members of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council.”

Non Traditional Stem Careers Festival Results

588 Students in the NW region participated in the Non Tradional STEM Careers Festival during the month of March. A further breakdown of participants is below. The above is just a small sample of the kinds of projects students participated in. A great event for sure!

Home Schooled: <1% Private School: 11%

Gender: 50% Female, 46% Male, 4% not reported

Race/Ethnicity: African American - 1%, American Indian - <1%, Asian - 1%, Hispanic -11%, Milti - 1%, White - 71%. Not reporting - 15%

Grade Level: 6-8

Now Accepting Teachers and Workplace Hosts to Participate in the

Iowa STEM Teacher Externship Program

The Iowa STEM Teacher Externships Program aims to help teachers answer that age-old question, "When am I ever going to need to use this?"

During the summer, educators work side-by-side with knowledgeable and skilled industry employees who help bring the classroom curriculum to life. Teacher Externships provide educators with the exposure to answer questions about real-world application, prepare students for careers they may have in the future, and improve educational experiences.

Teacher Externships began in the summer of 2009 with a few goals in mind:

Create lasting partnerships between workplaces and local schools.
Connect Teacher Extern experience with STEM content and 21st century skills identified in the Iowa Core.
Give students real-world career information about career possibilities right here in Iowa.
Give teachers the opportunity to see and use the latest real-world applications STEM disciplines in a local business or industry.

Teacher Externships are full-time, six-week temporary summer positions in local businesses and agencies for secondary teachers of mathematics, science and/or technology. Teachers earn a stipend of up to $5,000 (including two paid professional development days), as well as three graduate credits through the University of Northern Iowa’s Continuing Education program.

Learn more about Teacher Externships by reading the Extern Project-Based Learning, FAQ or Brochure.

National Library Week Festival Results

2,247 Students in the NW region participated in the Non Tradional STEM Careers Festival during the month of April. A further breakdown of participants is below. The above is just a small sample of the kinds of projects students participated in. A great event showcasing our wonderful libraries in the NW Region!

Home Schooled: 1% Private School: 5%

Gender: 49% Female, 51% Male, <1% not reported

Race/Ethnicity: African American - 2%, Alaskan - <1%, American Indian - < 1%, Asian - 1%, Hispanic - 12%, Multi - 3%, Pacific Islander - <1%, T - <1%, White - 82%.

Grade Level: K-4

Since 2014, 75 STEM BEST Programs have been awarded throughout Iowa. The STEM BEST Program fosters partnerships between local schools and businesses in Iowa. Educators work alongside industry professionals to craft a unique STEM curriculum centered around work-based learning. Learn more about STEM BEST or complete your application at iowastem.org/STEMBEST/application

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APPLICATION AND PROGRAM TIMELINE

March 8, 2021: Application portal opens
May 10, 2021: Application due by 11:59 pm
May-June, 2021: Application Review
July-August 2021: Awards Announced
August 2021 - June 2022: STEM BEST Program Planning and Implementation
January 30, 2022: Progress Report 1 Due
May 31, 2022: Progress Report 2 and final invoice must be submitted to:

Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council, Attn: Program Manager

214 East Bartlett Hall, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614

June 15, 2023: Final Report Due

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Applications for STEM BEST® Program must be submitted by Iowa public and non-public school districts and buildings serving students in grades K-12. Clusters of schools and/or districts are encouraged to apply. This requirement, then verifies that the submitting entity will be the responsible fiscal agent. The application must also contain evidence of the roles assumed by the partnering school/districts and other identified partners.

Different school buildings within an Iowa district may submit an independent STEM BEST proposal in the same proposal period. Individual school buildings may not submit more than one proposal in the same proposal period, unless one is for school-specific BEST creation and another is part of a multi-district consortium. In instances where this policy does not apply, please contact the Governor's STEM Advisory Council, info@IowaSTEM.org

For those applicants who have previously received a STEM BEST® Program award or who intend to connect to a past STEM BEST® Program awardee, please note that there is an additional required section in the proposal form that must be completed as part of the submission process. This section will be thoroughly reviewed to determine merits of the expanded program model with regards to student engagement, specific measurable outcomes and elements of financial need.

REQUIREMENTS

An applicant is required to provide a 1:1 match, up to $25,000. The match may be either cash and/or in-kind support. The match may be contributed by the applicant or a community partner. To be eligible as match, the cash and/or in-kind contribution must be provided during the funding period of the STEM BEST® Program award.

RESOURCES

STEM BEST Program Review Process
STEM BEST Rubric
Applicant and Program Lead Definition
STEM BEST Application Template - All applications must be submitted through the online portal to be considered eligible.
Webinar Recording: “Grant writing 101”

DEVELOPING YOUR PROPOSAL:

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS:

COST-SHARE:

Please contact hunt@IowaSTEM.org for additional information.

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!

Email: mtrent@iowalakes.edu

NW STEM Checkout System

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 them up. It's as simple as that!

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

https://www.iowalakes.edu/stem/stem-resources/.