North Central STEM Region
January 9, 2023
STEM Seal of Approval

As we welcome in 2023, we're celebrating our 2022 Seal of Approval Recipients! The Seal of Approval recognizes programs & events that help achieve STEM Council goals yet aren't under the STEM Council umbrella. Congratulations to all of our 2022 recipients!
Share your Scale-Up Story with Us!

Were you awarded a Scale-Up program this year? If so, please share your story and pictures with us! We will share your story in our newsletters and on social media. Invite me out to see the Scale-Up program in action!

Scale-Up Program Applications Now Open!

Thirteen programs offer hands-on STEM experiences to PreK-12 students for 2023-2024 academic year
The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council announces applications have opened for the STEM Scale-Up Program which provides educators and students throughout the state with access to exemplary STEM educational opportunities. These programs are some of the top in the nation and offer a diverse range of STEM activities to nearly 100,00 students each year. The application period for the STEM Scale-Up Program closes on February 28, 2023.

Thirteen programs were selected from a pool of 65 proposals for the 2023-2024 Scale-Up Program menu based on the Council’s strategic priorities, including agricultural science, computational thinking, early learning, ecology and energy education, mathematics, STEM and arts integration, STEM careers, integration into existing curriculum and transdisciplinary learning. These priorities were selected to provide Iowa students with educational opportunities that emphasize the necessary skills needed for the future workforce. Students who participate in the STEM Scale-Up Program have historically performed better on statewide tests compared to students who do not participate. These students also have an increased interest in STEM subjects and careers.

“The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council resolved early on that Iowa kids will come in second to no one when it comes to access and opportunity to the best STEM learning resources known to exist,” said Jeff Weld, executive director of the Council. “Scale-Up is that mechanism, selecting outstanding programs that provide educators with the tools to generate interest in STEM subjects among students as well as increase awareness of the abundance of opportunities and demand for STEM careers.”
A team of trained reviewers considered evidence of effect, scalability, diversity impact, cost-benefit ratio, sustainability, Iowa Core alignment and more when selecting final programs. The following 13 programs were selected to be offered to preK-12 educators across Iowa for the 2023-2024 academic year:

  • Codelicious
  • Daily Math Fluency Centers
  • Discover Drones
  • Innovate-IT
  • Ioponics
  • Iowa Leadership in Engineering Design
  • Positive Physics and Chemistry
  • Python for the BBC micro:bit
  • STEM Cart: K-12+ Schoolwide STEM Solution
  • STEM Innovator
  • Storytime STEM-packs: STEM + Computer Science
  • Tiny Techies
  • WaterWorks: Engineering and Investigating the Properties of Water
The selected educator recipients will be announced in April. Visit www.iowastem.org/scale-up-application for more information on the 2023-2024 STEM Scale-Up Programs. 
CSEdWeek Resources
CSEdWeek might be over, but that doesn't mean everything will disappear!

Resources from CSEdWeek can be found at https://iowastem.org/csedweek.

These resources include lessons, activities, and recordings from panels held throughout the week of December 5-9.
While we are on the topic of CSEdWeek, don't forget to mark your calendar for next year's dates: December 4-8, 2023!
Upcoming STEM Events!
January 10 Regional Advisory Board Meeting
January 21 Future City Virtual
January 28 Future City In-Person
February 8 STEM Day at the Capital
February 28 Scale-Up Application Deadline


Know of other STEM events in North Central Iowa? Email us at: ncstem@iastate.edu
NC Regional Manager:
Mauree Haage

Website: https://ncstemhub.iastate.edu
Email: ncstem@iastate.edu
Phone: 515-294-0645

Address:

NC STEM Hub
Extension 4-H Building
1259 Stange Road
Ames, IA 50011