February 2019 Monthly News ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

IN THIS ISSUE STEM Council Progress Highlighted at State Capitol Honoring the 2019 I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award Recipients STEM Education + Workplace Partnerships Summit Registration Opens 2019-2020 STEM Scale-Up Program Application Closes March 4 Computer Science is Elementary Project Application Closes March 29

UPCOMING EVENTS March 3, 2019 - 1:00 p.m. Marshalltown Family STEM Festival More information March 14, 2019 - 12:00 p.m. Women in STEM Festival More information March 14, 2019 - 5:00 p.m. Woodbine Early Education Festival More information March 19, 2019 - 5:00 p.m. Griswold Community School District STEM Festival More information

STEM Council Progress Highlighted at State Capitol

Exhibitor partners, legislators and guests assembled in the State Capitol Rotunda for STEM Day at the Capitol 2019.

Approximately 200 Iowans showcased their contributions to STEM through 32 in-school and out-of-school displays in the Iowa Capitol Rotunda for STEM Day at the Capitol on February 13. The displays included STEM Scale-Up Program Providers, STEM BEST Program Partners, STEM Seal of Approval awardees, Iowa STEM Network Hub Institutions, youth agencies, nonprofits and more. Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg acknowledged the progress made by this group and emphasized the importance of STEM education in Iowa. STEM Council Co-Chair and Accumold President and CEO Roger Hargens thanked exhibitors for their tireless work and dedication to advancing STEM in the state. Special guest United States Patent and Trademark Office Director Andrei Iancu provided a national perspective. In a uniquely STEM-like fashion of bipartisanship, Senator Bill Dotzler, Senator Chris Cournoyer, Representative Cecil Dolecheck and Representative Dave Jacoby each shared their own observations and experience with the STEM Council’s progress in earning their support as key in producing Iowa’s next generation of skilled innovators. Kemin Industries Vice President and General Counsel Libby Nelson rallied attendees around what has become a signature program of the STEM Council, recognizing six outstanding Iowa educators, one per STEM region, who earned the 2019 I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award, generously sponsored by Kemin Industries. All leaders remained at the podium to congratulate the six honored teachers. Between the exhibitors and the legislators invited, the Capitol Rotunda drew in a large crowd focused on the STEM happening around Iowa. The event was generously sponsored by Collins Aerospace and Vermeer Corporation.

Honoring the 2019 I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award Recipients 2019 I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award recipients were honored at STEM Day at the Capitol. Pictured left to right in front: Southeast Valley High School Educator Sharon Jaeschke, Missouri Valley Middle School Educator Lacy West, Okoboji Elementary School Educator JoAnne Sackett, North Scott High School Educator Jacob Hunter, Southeast Polk High School Educator Matthew Eddy. Not pictured Central Community High School Ann Gritzner. Pictured left to right in back: Kemin Industries Vice President and General Counsel Libby Nelson, Representative Cecil Dolecheck, United States Patent and Trademark Office Director Andrei Iancu, Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, Accumold President and CEO and STEM Council Co-Chair Roger Hargens, STEM Council Executive Director Jeff Weld. The 2019 I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award recipients were recognized during STEM Day at the Capitol. In her remarks Libby Nelson, vice president and general counsel at Kemin Industries, expressed how proud Kemin Industries is to have sponsored the I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award for the past five years, honoring 30 incredible teachers in the award’s lifetime. This award honors one teacher in each of the six STEM regions of the state whose leadership and dedication to STEM in Iowa increases students' interest and awareness in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These teacher awardees are I nnovative in their methods, O utstanding in their passion for education, W orldly in the way they help students see that STEM is all around them and A cademic through engaging students in the classroom to prepare them for post-secondary education and high-demand careers. Eligible nominees include licensed, full-time, PreK-12 Iowa STEM teachers in public or non-public schools. The 2019 I.O.W.A. STEM Teaching Award recipients include: Matthew Eddy, agricultural teacher and CASE curriculum leader at Southeast Polk High School (South Central STEM Region) Ann Gritzner, science teacher and project based learning teacher leader at Central Community High School (Northeast STEM Region) Jacob Hunter, agricultural science teacher at North Scott High School (Southeast STEM Region) Sharon Jaeschke, math teacher and robotics coach at Southeast Valley High School (North Central STEM Region) JoAnne Sackett, Explore Lab teacher at Okoboji Elementary School (Northwest STEM Region) Lacy West, 7th and 8th grade science teacher at Missouri Valley Middle School (Southwest STEM Region) During the I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award application process, each teacher is nominated by a school administrator, fellow teacher, student or parent. The nominees are, then, asked to complete an application. All applications are reviewed by a panel of external judges. Through generous support from Kemin Industries, each awardee is presented with $3,000 -- $1,500 for the educator’s use and another $1,500 to be used in their classroom. Each of this year’s recipients were also honored during a ceremony at their school with students, peers, administrators, business partners and a Kemin Industries representative present. Following STEM Day at the Capitol, Kemin Industries hosted a reception to honor all past recipients and this year’s winners of the I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award and to celebrate the fifth year of the award. The educators had the opportunity to network over refreshments, tour the Kemin worldwide headquarters and engage with Kemin scientists.

STEM Education + Workplace Partnerships Summit Registration Opens

Registration is now open for the STEM Education + Workplace Partnerships – Governor’s 2019 Future Ready Iowa Summit.

At a press conference on February 27, Gov. Kim Reynolds reaffirmed her vision for preparing Iowans for dynamic careers and lifelong learning by continuing to connect workforce, STEM and workplace partnerships. This year’s Future Ready Iowa Summit titled, “STEM Education + Workplace Partnerships,” takes place on April 30, 2019, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The Governor’s STEM Advisory Council will be hosting the event.   “Iowa is recognized as a national leader in STEM and workplace partnerships. That’s why we must continue to bring these two powerful efforts together. It’s critical for providing young Iowans with outstanding opportunities and helping them learn high-demand skills for rewarding careers,” said Gov. Reynolds. “That’s why this year’s statewide summit focuses on expanding innovative partnerships to ensure so our students are ready for the 21 st century economy.”   Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg added “With Iowa’s continued growth, it’s vital to develop a strong talent pipeline and adaptable educational system together. Having STEM and Future Ready Iowa experts at the same venue is a great step in that direction.”   The summit agenda includes remarks by the Governor, Lt. Governor and Iowa leaders in business, industry and education. The morning keynote speaker is Pallavi Verma, senior managing director U.S.-Midwest at Accenture, who will talk about harnessing Artificial Intelligence to innovate and grow. Gov. Reynolds also will announce the names of six high-poverty elementary schools that will receive a total of $300,000 in grants ($50,000 each) as part of the Computer Science is Elementary Project.   Registration for the Summit is now open and additional information can be found at  www.IowaSTEM.gov/2019STEMsummit .

2019-2020 STEM Scale-Up Program Application Closes March 4 Apply today for a STEM Scale-Up Program! What is the STEM Scale-Up Program? The STEM Scale-Up Program finds some of the state’s and nation’s high-quality programs and delivers them to Iowa educators. Each year, the STEM Council equips thousands of educators with STEM programs that inspire nearly 100,000 Iowa youth. Ten programs complete the 2019-2020 STEM Scale-Up Program menu, including: Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) Food and Science Safety: Stimulate actual concepts and situations found in the food science and safety industry. This course offers hands-on activities, projects and problems in areas of food safety, chemistry, processing, product development and marketing. Computer Science Discoveries: Inspire students as they build their own websites, apps, games and physical computing devices. This course takes a wide lens on computer science by covering topics such as programming, physical computing, HTML/CSS and data. Computer Science Fundamentals: Foster equity and diversity in the classroom, breaking down barriers and stereotypes around computer science. This course is designed to be flexible for the classroom. Computer Science Principles: Introduce students to the foundational concepts of computer science and challenge them to explore how computing and technology can impact the world. This course is a rigorous, engaging and approachable exploration of the foundational ideas of computing Engineer Your World: Engage learners in collaborative, student-directed projects that build creative problem-solving and engineering design skills. This course is designed to teach the value of collaborating to solve complex, modern problems and create a strong foundation for future STEM learning. Light and Shadow: Create new and worthwhile ideas while exploring light to create shadows through creativity and innovation. This course encourages teachers to re-envision their classroom, routines and schedules to optimize students’ learning Making STEM Connections: Engage students through making and tinkering and build conceptual understanding around academic content. This course is designed to empower teachers to cultivate engaging, purposeful and successful extensions of already developed curriculum. Pint Size Science: Engage and inspire young minds to explore scientific phenomena. This course is designed to build science understanding and respond to the ever changing interests and abilities of children. STEM in Action: Incorporate three-dimensional learning with an emphasis on authentic hands-on, problem-based learning. This course follows the Engineering Design Process of defining the problem, planning solutions, making a prototype, reflecting, communicating results and redesigning STEM Innovator: Transform the classroom into incubator spaces where student teams solve real-world problems alongside industry mentors. This course prepares students with the skills and mindset to persist in STEM education, pursue STEM careers and become innovators of the future. Who can apply? One of the priorities of the STEM Council is to achieve STEM for all! That means any formal or informal Iowa educator is eligible to apply. For more information or to apply, visit www.IowaSTEM.gov/scale-up

Computer Science is Elementary Project Application Closes March 29

There is still time to apply for the Computer Science is Elementary Project!

Computational thinking is a new basic skill in the 21 st century. Building a strong foundation early for all students is critical. This will ensure students are well prepared later in their personal and professional lives, including for a dynamic workforce where a growing number of jobs require computational thinking. What is the Computer Science is Elementary Project? The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council and the Iowa Department of Education are partnering with business and industry to transform six existing high-poverty elementary schools across Iowa into models of innovative computer science instruction. Each school will receive a one-time planning award of $50,000 to weave computer science and other elements of computational thinking into the broader curriculum. Who can apply? School districts and non-public school systems (or stand-alone non-public schools) with an elementary building of at least 40 percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch may apply. One Computer Science is Elementary School will be located in each of the six regions established by the STEM Council. For more information or to apply, visit www.IowaSTEM.gov/cselementary.

Contact the Iowa STEM Operations Center by phone at (319) 273-2959 or by email at info@IowaSTEM.gov.