News

Teacher Externs to bring the world of work back to classrooms this fall

For teachers, there is no better way to kick off the school year than with a new lesson plan in hand completely inspired by a summer spent chin-deep in the world of business and industry.

Welcome, Dr. Chris Nelson

Kemin Industries President and CEO Dr. Chris Nelson will serve as co-chair of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council starting this month. Appointed by Gov. Terry Branstad, Nelson succeeds Vermeer CEO and Chair of the Board Mary Andringa, who completed her two-year term as STEM Council co-chair in May.

The race is on: STEM Scale-Up Professional Development accelerates across the state

This month marks the start for dozens of STEM Scale-Up program trainings for a couple of thousand PreK through 12 educators ready to teach, prepare and inspire more than 100,000 young Iowan minds with new STEM skills and projects.

MVP for Iowa STEM: Pat Barnes

John Deere Inspire’s Pat Barnes has also inspired the STEM Council from day one through the development of the initiative to its widespread success throughout Iowa.

Four more programs earn the STEM Council Seal of Approval

In June the STEM Council endorsed four more STEM programs in Iowa with the Seal of Approval that continues to recognize great STEM programming happening organically across the state.

Since the Seal of Approval’s launch in March, a committee of the STEM Council has reviewed and approved nine programs, including the four recently added:

STEM Culture of Excellence: Andringa Legacy

Ben Franklin advised that if we want something done, it’s best to ask a busy person. Governor Branstad acted on that advice in 2013 by approaching Mary Andringa to co-chair the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council alongside Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds.

STEM Council draws FY2015 to close, kicks of FY2016 with flare

The 12th meeting of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council began with closing the books on end-of-fiscal-year business to begin anew for the innovative and exciting developments to come in the year ahead for STEM in Iowa.

BEST practices in business-education partnerships paid forward

No more “take a seat” or “open your textbooks.” Instead, “get to work” is what students can look forward to when they enter STEM BEST (Business Engaging Students and Teachers) classrooms popping up across Iowa thanks to partnerships driven by the STEM Council. Strategies for success in bridging the business-education chasm were aplenty at the first-of-its-kind STEM BEST event this month.

Walls between school and work tumble down with Teacher Externships

With an adventurous spirit that would rival Magellan, nearly 40 educators throughout Iowa will cross cultural boundaries into the world of commerce this summer, applying their skills and updating their understanding of how their school subjects apply to life beyond the classroom wall.

Business and education share demand for Microsoft IT Academy

Both businesses and educators agree that developing skills with the Microsoft Office suite will lead to success in the future offices of Iowa businesses. That notion is why Microsoft IT Academy operates at capacity serving a mixture of 150 school districts and community colleges, certifying hundreds of students as well as some teachers throughout the state in Microsoft Office programs.