As part of Computer Science Week, the Northeast Iowa STEM Hub will be hosting a free webinar entitled; "Discovering Careers in Computer Science." The webinar will occur Tuesday, December 7 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Target audience includes; middle and high school students, teachers, counselors, etc.

Are your students interested in a career in computer science or maybe they want to explore careers in computer science? The panel will discuss their career journey in computer science, personal interest in computer science, etc.

Webinar

1 p.m.- 2 p.m.

Panel includes;

Dale L. Campbell Jr. is the CEO and founder of Positive Productions Plus. The company is a media creation company for in-house projects and client based projects in the areas of 3D Animation, Videography, Web Design as well as XR Dev(VR/AR/MR)

Howard Samarin is the IT supervisor at United Equipment Accessories in Waverly, IA. With a staff of 2 employees and 1 intern, his department provides support for the computer equipment, network infrastructure, and applications. Howard has been involved with information technology since 1995, working in positions involving end user support, application / report development, business analysis, and management.

Ben Schafer is a professor of computer science at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). In addition to research interests in Artificial Intelligence and User Experience he is the program coordinator for the computer science education program at UNI.

Tara Sundt works on the communications network between the embedded controllers on John Deere equipment. This includes everything from riding lawn mowers and utility vehicles to large agricultural, construction, and forestry equipment.

Abby Wood is the Sr. Director of Operations for Digital at Jack Henry & Associates (JHA). Jack Henry & Associates is a fortune 500 company that works directly with Community Banks & Credit Unions supporting the technology used to run their financial institution. Her team, specifically, focuses on the digital ecosystem - things like Mobile & Online Banking, Marketing Websites, Online Account Opening, Personal Financial Management (PFM) which allows customers and members to bank in the digital channel. 

visit the following website.

Computer Science Week occurs December 6-10. Share your activities and events using the following hashtag, #CS4IA.

The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council has received a special appropriation from the Iowa Legislature to dramatically expand the STEM BEST (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers) Program to help prepare students to enter job sectors that are in high demand. The STEM BEST H.D. (High Demand) Program is designed to prepare students for the workforce by providing awards of up to $40,000 to develop a curriculum focused on skills needed in job sectors such as computer science/ information technology, health professions, and advanced manufacturing.

The STEM BEST H.D. Program will help build partnerships between schools and businesses which allows educators and industry professionals to work together to develop curriculum and projects that prepare students for careers in these high-demand sectors.

The funds can be used for:

The STEM BEST H.D. Program Request for Proposals is open until January 3. For more information on the STEM BEST H.D. Program, please visit https://iowastem.org/BESTHD

Timeline:

If you have questions, please contact Jeff Beneke at jeff.beneke@uni.edu

The Northeast Iowa STEM Hub will be hosting our signature STEM Festivals again beginning in the Spring. The following festivals are scheduled;