A Look Back at 2017 STEM Council Programs

Teacher externship meeting

As 2017 comes to a close, we reflect on another successful year in furthering STEM opportunities in Iowa. Here's a look back at the STEM Council programs implemented in 2017 and beyond.

Iowa STEM Teacher Externships

Each summer, STEM educators have the opportunity to bring classroom curriculum to life through STEM Teacher Externships. This program takes place over s ix weeks and offers a paid, summer experience that can be brought back to the classroom through real-world applications.

There have been 421 Teacher Externships and 134 workplace partners from 2009 to 2017.

STEM Scale-Up Program 

Each year, nearly 2,000 educators take part in the STEM Scale-Up Program to help deliver stimulating units in computer science, agriculture, engineering design, critical thinking, and more. An estimated 514,228 preK-12 Iowans have participated in Scale-Up since 2012.

For the 2018-19 academic year, the STEM Council has approved ten high-quality programs for the STEM Scale-Up Program menu. Applications are open January 22, 2018 through March 5, 2018.

Iowa STEM BEST®

Local schools and businesses are brought together to collaborate through the Iowa STEM BEST® program. Awardees have the opportunity to engage and work alongside local businesses to craft curriculum and projects that help prepare students for STEM careers.

Nineteen new partners were awarded in November 2017, bringing the total to 37 STEM BEST® partnerships that have been awarded since 2014.

I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award

The STEM Council and Kemin Industries join together to honor six teachers each year for their outstanding contributions in STEM education in Iowa. Each teacher receives a $3,000 award, with $1,500 of that for classroom use. The fourth year of awards will be publicly announced on February 14, 2018 at STEM Day at the Capitol.

To find out more about STEM Council programs or ways to get involved, please visit www.IowaSTEM.gov or contact your regional STEM manager at www.IowaSTEM.gov/Regions.

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