2015 STEM BEST® Program Partners

STEM BEST (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers) focuses on teachers and industry professionals working side-by-side to craft curriculum and projects that prepare students for exciting STEM careers local to their community in manufacturing, information technology, bioscience (agriculture and medicine), finance, and more.

The STEM Council Executive Committee voted unanimously in October 2015 to disburse $300,000 in cost-shared funds to 12 competitively-selected school partnerships—three of them for STEM BEST® Program —bringing to the table a total cost-share commitment of $630,628. The 2015 STEM BEST® Program partners are:

Davenport Community School District, Davenport

Davenport Community School District’s "INSPIRE" program partners with local businesses like MA Ford, Alcoa, Phoenix Closures and more to immerse high school students in the business environment and explore manufacturing curriculum and pathways in their community.

Contact: Jennifer Boyd, boydje@davenportschools.org

Hoover High School, Des Moines

Hoover High School’s STEM BEST program pairs students with higher education partners, including Grand View University and ISU’s Center for Biorenewables in Chemistry (CBiRC), and local businesses, including Accumold, DuPont Pioneer, EFCO, Storey Kenworthy and United Way of Central Iowa, to provide students with opportunities to conduct research at a university or a business.

Contact: Jon Temple, jonathan.temple@dmschools.org

Iowa BIG North

A four-district consortium of Charles City, New Hampton, Osage and Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock opted to brand as Iowa BIG North. Partners include Zoetis, Cambrex Corporation, Valent BioSciences Corporation and more, to immerse high school students in a half-day professional-based learning model.

Contact: Mike Kuennen at m_kuennen@new-hampton.k12.ia.us or Donna Forsyth at dforsyt@charles-city.k12.ia.us