April 2021
Newsletter
Jeff Beneke
Northeast Regional STEM Manager


319-273-7397




In this newsletter:


  • Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council Celebrates 10th Anniversary


  • STEM BEST® Application Open


  • Iowa STEM Teacher Externship Program is still Accepting Teachers and Workplace Hosts
Upcoming Events


April 9-10
Pre-Service Teacher Conference



April 9
Scale-Up Awards Announced



April 29
Iowa STEM Council Executive Meeting



May 10


May 26
Northeast Iowa STEM Advisory Board meeting



Have an event coming up?
Northeast Region
of the Iowa
Governor's STEM Advisory Council


Advisory Board


Sue Burrack
Upper Iowa University


Lisa Chizek
Iowa State
University


Kendra Crooks
Chickasaw County Extension and Outreach


Kelly Cooper
Dubuque Area Labor-Management Council


Larry Escalada
University of
Northern Iowa


Heather Fransen
RSM, LLP


Gena Gesing
Northeast Iowa Community College


Seth Harms
West Delaware
High School


Doreen Hayek
University of
Northern Iowa


Ellen Heuer
Martin Brothers Distributing


Jason Martin-Hiner
Keystone Area Education Agency


Kim Miller
TDS Automation


Allison Plunkett
John Deere


Miriam Ohrt
John Deere


Anderson Sainci
City of Dubuque
Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Celebrates 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. Since the STEM Council was formed in 2011, nearly 1,000,000 students have been impacted by the programs and opportunities.

In 2011, Iowa was one of the first states to launch a formal STEM education initiative in order to increase student interest and achievement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects and careers. The initiative focused on preschool through 12th grade students to help better prepare the future workforce in Iowa.
 
Iowa’s STEM Council, launched in 2011 has been a pioneer in STEM education by working with various partners and advocates across the state to introduce and expand program offerings, leading to programs such as;

  • STEM BEST-- school-business partnerships,
  • STEM Scale-Up—top educational resources to educators and students, and
  • Iowa STEM Teacher Externships—summers in workplaces.
 
“The purpose of the STEM Council has always been to engage and prepare students for a career-ready path to the workforce while providing a vital competitive advantage to Iowa’s cutting-edge employers,” says Gov. Kim Reynolds, STEM Council co-chair. “Together, we’ve achieved many significant milestones which have shaped our programming and impacted hundreds of thousands of Iowa students over the last decade.”
 
While there has been significant progress in increasing interest and achievement in STEM education in Iowa communities, the STEM Council continues to focus on the future. In conjunction with the 10th anniversary celebration, the STEM Council is unveiling an updated logo.
 
“We’re transitioning to ‘Tomorrow STEMs from Iowa’ for the bright future that STEM education represents both for individuals and communities across Iowa,” says Jeff Weld, executive director of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council. “Our own future as a STEM Council focuses on enhancing the development, delivery and impact of STEM education resources so that all Iowans have the opportunity to make ‘tomorrow’ brighter.”

STEM BEST® Application Open
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
APPLICATION AND PROGRAM TIMELINE

  • 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
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Applications for STEM BEST® 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.

Different school buildings within an Iowa district may submit an independent STEM BEST proposal in the same proposal period.
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.
For additional information and resources, please visit https://iowastem.org/STEMBEST
HIGHLIGHTS FROM PAST STEM BEST AWARDEES
North Cedar Elementary School
Central High School and West Delaware High School
Businesses and non-profits meet to propose potential projects to Clayton Co. BEST and DelCo BEST students.
Charles City High School and New Hampton High School
Students participating in Iowa BIG North received their
CNA certification.
Iowa STEM Teacher Externship Program is still Accepting Teachers and Workplace Hosts
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 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.

Click on the button below to apply
for a Teacher Externship:
Click on the button below to complete a
Workplace Host Interest Form:
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