Support in Place for Teachers to Pursue Latest High-Demand Skills

The STEM-LIfT Scholarship supports STEM teachers to sharpen their knowledge and skills in these swiftly moving fields.
The STEM-LIfT Scholarship supports STEM teachers to sharpen their knowledge and skills in these swiftly moving fields.

Job skills needed by school graduates are evolving rapidly; to thrive in today’s workplace graduates need to command basic skills in robotics, data management, programming, modern machining and others embedded in STEM education. Teachers of STEM subjects need the opportunity for special professional development that keeps them abreast of these rapidly evolving skill trends. That’s why the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council has created the STEM Latest Information for Teachers (LIfT) Scholarship to support STEM teachers’ pursuit of these high-demand skills and knowledge for incorporating into their classes.

“This is a great opportunity for teachers and students. I love the experience of being trained alongside industry professionals. I walked in understanding electrical theory, and I left understanding how to apply it,” said Nathan Van Zante, science teacher at Lewis Central Middle School in Council Bluffs. “Ultimately, I am able to give students real-world skills that they are able to directly use in the workforce.”

Eligible fields include agriculture, computer science and technology, engineering, family consumer science, health, industrial technology, mathematics, science and STEM.

Scholarships are available up to a maximum of $1,800 depending on tuition costs. Any Iowa college or university may be selected by teacher-scholars. The catch is that the course they select must be of a cutting-edge subject in their field of teaching rather than a methodology course. Scholars write essays describing how the course update will enhance their teaching.

For summer opportunities, the application is open March 1 through April 29 with scholarships announced May 13. For the fall, the application is open June 1 through July 29 with scholarships announced August 12.

Visit our website for more information or apply today: www.iowastem.org/scholarships.

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