The 2023-2024 STEM Scale-Up Program Applications are open with 13 options on this year’s menu. Applications are due February 28, 2023.

Not sure which Scale-Ups are right for you? Join us for dinner!

DATE: Thursday, February 23, 2023

TIME: 5:00 PM -7:00 PM

LOCATION: Great Prairie AEA in Ottumwa

We'll provide you with an overview of the 2023-24 STEM Scale-Up Menu, dinner, and assistance in preparing your Scale-Up application. 

PreK-12 educators from the following organizations are invited:

• public and private PreK-12 schools
• childcare centers
• county conservation offices
• libraries
• county extension offices
• home school associations
• other formal and informal youth organizations who deliver STEM education programming for PreK-12 youth. 

Scale-Up awards provide free STEM training and materials to Iowa educators who work with youth in or out of school. Programs were selected by teams of Iowa educators and STEM professionals.

Check out Iowa STEM's menu, complete with webinars: https://iowastem.org/scale-up/menu. And, if you still have questions, please email Sarah at sarah.derry@drake.edu.

The STEM Council Executive Committee reviewed and approved 37 new or expanded STEM BEST partnerships, supported by guidance, collaboration and a financial investment of up to $40,000 each.

The program helps introduce students to businesses and career opportunities in Iowa, while also gaining career-ready skills. Including the latest honorees, 155 partnerships have been created or expanded since the STEM BEST Program launched in 2014.

“The STEM Council is driven to connect schools and workplaces for the benefit of both youth and employers, and the STEM BEST + HD Program is a signature vehicle for that goal,” said Jeff Weld, executive director of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council. “This latest expansion approaches a tipping point where career-linked learning is becoming the norm rather than the exception in preparing students for future Iowa careers.”

The South Central Region is proud to announce three expansions:

• Chariton: The school district plans to update their welding program to make it more aligned to current industry standards.

• Ankeny: Orbis will integrate the authentic experiences offered through district programming into additional courses and career areas.

• Pella: The Advanced Manufacturing Lab plans to add an automation cell  to provide advanced robotics training. This equipment will better prepare students for apprenticeships and careers with local partners.

Dawn Morgan (above right) of ISU Extension and Outreach fills an important role in both the community and the school. She's the Lucas County Youth Outreach Coordinator, and she also has a regular presence in the classroom.

One of her goals is to bring more STEM to rural districts, and she's impacting student exposure to technology with the introduction of the Iowa STEM Scale-Up micro:bit. "We're really focusing on both technology and soft skills," said Morgan, "and then building a community of kindness and respect--for all and from all."

Morgan was awarded the Computational Thinking in Action with micro:bit Scale-Up last spring. We visited her morning class of 3rd graders at Van Allen Elementary. The program features a small microcontroller with inputs and outputs. Using coding language, students can program it to do countless things.

"Kids love the micro:bits," said Morgan. "And I love that it lets them work at their own pace." She noted that the system is complex enough to use all the way to twelfth grade.

Every student opened a lap top, and plugged in their micro:bits. After a set of "I can" statements, which served as a road map for the day, everyone dug into their work. She also mentioned that students enjoyed the music feature most--there's a piano!

During the time, students helped other students and Morgan rotated around the room. "Micro:bits are really interesting because they hold so much stuff," said Cassidy, 2nd grade student, "and you can do so many things with them."

Josh Morgan, Van Allen Elementary Principal, seeks innovative ways to infuse technology skills into the day. "This is a generation of digital natives," said Morgan. "They'll be solving all world problems with technology. Micro:bit is a user-friendly way to gain these skills, and they love it."

The Scale-Up came with a classroom set of 30 micro:bits, a Hummingbird breakout board, two motors, and LEDs. But, with all the lights and sound, the best part was watching students work together to succeed.

"With technology and kindness, Dawn Morgan concluded, "this generation will lead us successfully into the future."

Thanks to Dawn Morgan for sharing her second grade coders. If you are a teacher seeking Youth Extension and Outreach resources or need ideas of how to integrate computer science into your curriculum, email Dawn to connect with your county's office.

If you're thinking about adding a Computer Science element to your class, check out our Q&A with Des Moines Christian School's Liz Sisler. She shared how she gets everyone interested in learning how to code.

Q: How do you introduce kids to coding using micro:bits?

A: We are always talking about creating and trying new things in STEAM so the majority of the students were naturally curious about trying it themselves. 

When I was introducing students to the micro:bits, they were intrigued by all the lights and sounds and wanted to try it. I did the first tutorial on the big screen as a group so they could see how to follow the directions and then they did the same tutorial on their own. There was excitement when they completed their first program and connected it properly. 

After finding success they were eager to try the next program and show their friends what they made. This also encouraged each other as they would see what a peer made and then want to make that program, too. 

A

Q. Coding is challenging. How do you build student confidence?

A: I encouraged the students to help each other. And to code with a partner, which also gave them more confidence than doing it alone.

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I'll Make Me a World In Iowa's Education Day

STEM Festival

On Friday, February 3, from 9AM - 2PM, 600 students gathered for IMAWWII's Education Day. The SC STEM Hub partnered with Iowa STEM and Collins Aerospace to bring a 16-exhibitor festival to life. Area professionals brought incredible hands-on activities, demos and make-n-takes.

Thanks to the following exhibitors for making this the biggest and best IMAWWII STEM Festival, yet!

Back by popular demand, the hub refreshed the African American STEM Innovators Scavenger Hunt. Iowa STEM also partnered with Blue Origin to bring in the noon keynote speaker, Aerospace Engineer Charles Njoka.

Look for photos and a recap of the day in the next newsletter.

The SC STEM Hub is partnering with the Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled to host an in-person STEM festival. Here are the details:

WHEN: Saturday, February 25, 2023

TIME: 2:00 – 4:00 PM

WHERE: Iowa Department for the Blind

ADDRESS: 524 Fourth Street in Des Moines

PARKING: Free and across the street; follow signs

AUDIENCE: Free and open to the public, grades Pre-K-12 and families.

The goal of the event is to communicate that STEM is all-inclusive and that the best ideas come when diverse minds team up to solve problems.

Exhibitors from around the metro area will share expertise in STEM, and all activities will be based on the best practices of Universal Design concepts and materials will be provided in accessible formats (large print and braille).

Participants can also take part in cooking and wood shop demonstrations highlighting non-visual techniques. This is a new addition for this year's event.

"It's an exciting day of testing, competition, and fun events all centering around braille literacy," said Denise Bean, Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, Youth Services Librarian. "We are thrilled to end the day by partnering with the South Central STEM Hub to host an amazing STEM Fest,”

Register to attend or exhibit at https://scstemhub.drake.edu/festivals/. Attendees who pre-register will receive a free tote bag while supplies last. Walk-ins are welcome, also.

For more information about the Braille Challenge go to the library’s site (https://iowalibrary.blog)

Scale-Up really is for everyone! And that is thanks, in part, to the efforts made by the Iowa Department for the Blind (IBD). Educators who serve visually impaired students can check out Scale-Up resources that have been translated into Braille with the best practices of Universal Design in mind. In addition, the department uses Iowa STEM Scale-Ups to enrich their classes, workshops, and special events.

* * *

If you are seeking non-visual materials and support, please reach out to Denise Bean, IBD Youth Librarian and Outreach, denise.bean@blind.state.ia.us

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If you need an expert, storyteller, cheerleader, community connector, invite Dr. Sarah Derry to speak at your next meeting about 2023-24 Scale-Up opportunities. She'll talk with teachers, listen to what they need, and help them through the application process. Email today to begin a conversation: sarah.derry@drake.edu.

* * *

Photo: Sarah Willeford, Sarah Derry, and Denise Bean talk festival plans in front of the IBD's Ioponics tanks.

From Girl Scout Leader Brandi Miller (far left) to C3 Robotics Coach Smita Volz (at right), both the troop and the team come together for a photo.

We always say the hub is here to help you make STEM connections. And those things happen--usually incrementally over time. So it's hard to tell the story, until this fall...

Once upon a time, a robotics team member, Aria of C3, reached out to the Hub to offer the team's energy and expertise for technology outreach. Once upon (a short) time (after that), Girl Scout troop leader Brandi Miller reached out to the hub with a request to find someone who could help with a series of Scout badges in technology.

Dr. Sarah Derry, Hub Manager, matched the community leaders, and the two groups of students came together for three meetings of building robots, coding missions, and eating donuts.

“We learned how to write computer code,” said Anahlaya, one of the Scouts, “and how that code talks to the robot in order to complete missions.”

The hub visited on the last day of the partnership. Each Girl Scout choose a mission from a previous FLL robotics challenge table, and their goal was to complete it during the two-hour time frame.

“I like solving my own problems,” said Kymani. “It’s a challenge. You have to go through the steps again and again to find the issue.”

Miller let the girls chose what badges they wanted to work on, and the technology series was on the list. “I’m hoping it opens up their imagination to STEM. Sometimes it seems we send a message that, if you’re not great at math and science, then technology wouldn’t be a good fit. But that’s not true. It’s about solving a problem step-by-step.”

Miller went on to talk about the value of her troop's partnership with C3. "The C3 team did an amazing job, and I learned a lot through the sessions they led. Girls Scouts is supposed to be girl led, and Smita [C3's coach] was a great model for that. Scout leaders are volunteers and may not always have the skills to lead every badge. It is nice to know we have groups like C3 in the community to offer volunteers like me support."

Smita Volz has spent a lot of time working on ways to welcome all kids into technology. “One of our team’s goals is to increase accessibility and engagement in STEM.” She’s passionate about helping young people find connections. “It’s much more than coding and building,” Volz explains. FTC also builds leadership, communication, outreach, logistics, design, public speaking skills--and friendships.

"I like the aspect of making," said Sargun, C3's notebook and video guru. "I feel like I can use my creative side to make our notebook stand out. We only get five minutes to make an impact with judges as they flip through it."

Both Miller and Volz thanked Tech Journey for providing their gathering space. Tech Journey also sponsors C3 Robotics and a host of other teams. 

Like every good story, this one came to a happy close. The girls earned new badges, the robotics team gathered community service hours, and both groups found new friends and skills. One Scout's big brother even joined C3's team.

The end.

(Which is often the beginning of something else.)

* * *

Thank you to C3 Robotics and Girl Scouts of Iowa for their continued support of Iowa STEM festivals and outreach. If you're looking for a community robotics connection, email C3! The Hub is here to help. If you have a STEM-related need or idea for the youth you serve, email the hub.

According to the Scientific American, a leading science journal, only 20 percent of all computer science majors are women and 22 percent of all math majors are women. The findings are worse for the field of engineering, with about 16 percent of all engineers being women.

Smita Volz (pictured below at right - you may recognize her from past STEM festivals), Analytics Senior Manager at Wells Fargo and C3 Robotics Coach, is working to change those statistics.

The STEM Council’s Teacher Externship Program has placed more than 700 Teacher Externs with more than 200 Iowa workplaces, building long-lasting partnerships. These experiences support the local workforce by providing teachers with experiences directly linking work skills to classroom content and 21st Century Skills.

The recent program webinar (see recording above) for Iowa workplaces highlighted employer experiences with summer STEM Teacher Externs. The panel included Andrew Roelfs, Interstates Training and Development Manager; Christina Schauer, MercyOne-Dubuque Director of Clinical and Professional Development; and Grace Swanson, Accumold Vice President of Human Capital.

They shared why their organization got involved in the program, what it was like having a teacher onsite, the value of hosting a teacher and recommendations to other Iowa businesses for hosting a teacher extern in the future.

Please consider hosting an extern OR signing up to become on. For more information on the STEM Teacher Externships Program, visit www.iowastem.org/externships or email Sarah at the hub.

North High School STEM Career Fest

• Wednesday, February 22, 2023; morning-afternoon-whole day
• Focus: Bringing entry-level STEM career opportunities to students and showing how those beginning positions lead to good careers.
• Audience: Grades 9-12
• Location: North High School (501 Holcomb Ave, Des Moines, IA 50313)
• Register: North STEM Career Fair (office.com)

Iowa Department for the Blind's Braille Challenge Day: Universal STEM Fest

• Saturday, February 25, 2023; 2-4PM
• Theme: Universal STEM
• Focus: Communicate that STEM is all-inclusive and that the best ideas come when diverse minds team up to solve problems. 
• Audience: Grades K-12
• Location: Iowa Department for the Blind (524 4th St, Des Moines, IA 50309)
• Register to attend: https://forms.gle/wrYfrG5hHKKmsqaB8

STEM Family Night at Earlham Schools

• Questions: Kristen Sheffield, Curriculum Director
• Click HERE to Register to Exhibit

Graceland University STEAM Fest

• Questions: Joni Ehm, SW STEM Hub Manager
• Click HERE to Register to Exhibit

• February 22 -- North High School STEM Career Fest
• February 25 -- Iowa Department for the Blind STEM Fest
• February 28 -- Scale-Up Applications DUE
• March 9 -- 2023 Family STEM Night, Earlham School District
• March 27 -- SC Advisory Board Meeting, 2:30-4:30pm
• April 5 -- Graceland STEAM Festival, Graceland University in Lamoni
• April 24 -- SC Advisory Board Meeting, 2:30-4:30pm
• May 22 -- SC Advisory Board Meeting, 2:30-4:30pm

Thanks to our South Central Advisory Board members for the work they do to bring STEM to all Iowa students.