STEM Advisory Council

January 2014

Molly Faber
NW Regional STEM Manager
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REMINDER:

Applications for the 2015-2016 Scale-Up Programs  are now being accepted!
Make sure to get your application in before March 9, 2015!

Saturday, 
January 31, 2015
FTC League Championship
Western Iowa Tech Community College
Sioux City, Iowa

Wednesday, 
February 4, 2015
NW Iowa Board Meeting
Virtual Zoom Conference

Saturday, 
February 7, 2015
  Girls in Science
Science Center of Iowa
 Des Moines, Iowa

Thursday, 
February 19, 2015
STEM Day at the Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa

Saturday, 
February 21, 2015
STEM Festival
Dordt College
Sioux Center, Iowa


Monday, 
March 9, 2015
Deadline for Scale-up Applications


Thursday, 
March 5, 2015
KidWind Renewable Energy Festival
Western Iowa Tech Community College
Cherokee, Iowa

Saturday, 
March 7, 2015
Family Fest
Clay County Regional Event Center
Spencer, Iowa

Monday, March 30, 2015
Statewide STEM Conference
Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center
Des Moines, Iowa


Northwest Regional Advisory Board Members
A special thank you to the Advisory Board of NW Iowa.

Kathleen Bottaro, Sioux City

Barbara Den Herder, Sioux Center

Marcella Frevert, Emmetsburg

Linda Gray, Everly

Cheryl Heronemus, Alton

Jasper LeSage, Sioux Center

Nancy McDowell, Sheldon

Sherry McGill, Sergeant Bluff

Rick Reinking, Spirit Lake

Jody Still Herbold, Kingsley

Mary Trent, Carroll

Gerald Van Roekel, Orange City

Wade Weber, Spirit Lake

Mark Zabawa, Spencer
Your Community; 
Your Events

Learning happens inside and outside of the classroom.
Learning can happen to anyone at any age.

If you know of any STEM events happening, please submit your STEM Event 
so 
learning can happen anywhere, anytime, for  anyone. 

  STEM is the foundation for innovative problem-solving and discovery through exploratory learning. It is important for teachers, students, parents, businesses and communities to connect and have awareness, and access to world-class STEM education opportunities. 
In Northwest Iowa, we are committed to growing STEM education and opportunities.
Your Future @ Work
Helping students plan for life after graduation


 


Students try Interstates Engineering's virtual reality 


 

Many high school students get asked what they plan on doing after graduation and many times the response is a shrug, a mumble, an "I don't know", and so on.

After hearing similar answers over and over again, a group of community members in Sioux Center decided it was time to help students explore their options for after graduation.  They decided to create an event that would showcase a variety of career paths and opportunities that are available to students in northwest Iowa. 


 

Executive director of the Sioux Center Chamber and a member of the Northwest STEM Regional Advisory Board, Barb Den Herder stated, "Our goal is not only to increase awareness but also to facilitate some unique partnerships with our businesses and schools and to bring real-life learning into the classroom."  


 

At Dordt College on Friday, January 9, 2015, after months of planning and collaboration with local businesses, community partners, and area schools, Your Future @ Work successfully met their goals of bringing businesses and schools together for real-life learning.

 

Sophomore students from Sioux Center High School, Trinity Christian High School, Unity Christian High School, Western Christian High School, Boyden-Hull High School, and area home-schools participated in the afternoon event. Parents and teachers were also invited to the event to increase their personal awareness of options and opportunities for their students after graduation. 

 

The afternoon began with lunch and a keynote presentation by David Krahling, vice president of business development at Interstates Companies, and a panel discussion about working and living in Sioux County. After lunch, students, parents, and teachers attended interactive breakout sessions that highlighted different career choices, and a business expo to explore more career opportunities.

 


 A special thank you to the b
usinesses and presenters who helped make the day possible:

Agency Two Twelve      American State Bank     City of Sioux Center

Dordt College of Criminal Justice     Dori Horstman     The Event Company SD

 Exemplar Genetics     Great Plains Consulting     Groschopp

ICON Ag and Turf     Interstates Communications     Interstates Engineering

Kooima and Kaemingk Commodities     Link Manufacturing     

NW Area Education Agency     Paragon Videography     Pella Corporation

Peoples Bank     Pioneer Seed Company     Randy Feenstra 

Rosenboom Machine and Tool     Sioux Automation     Sioux Center Health

Stepping Stones Preschool     Syngenta     Trans Ova Genetics

The Travel Advantage     Center Fresh     Dordt College

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach     Terrace View Event Center

Northwest Iowa Community College


 

Dordt College's hallways were filled with local sophomores, parents and teachers exploring their future options.

Update on Northwest Iowa's STEM Classroom

 


 Co-chair of the Governor's STEM Advisory Council & CEO and President of Vermeer Corporation, Mary Adnringa and husband, Dale, look on as students work through a calculus problem at Sioux Center High School's STEM Classroom.

 

In the early summer of 2013, 23 schools submitted applications for a $50,000 district-matched award to implement a STEM Classroom in the schools.

Sioux Center High School was among one of the four recipients (Davenport Community School District, Hoover High School of Des Moines Community School District, and Mount Pleasant Middle School also received awards). 

A little over a year later, the STEM classroom at Sioux Center High School is being utilized by students and staff.


 

On Monday, January 12, 2015, Sioux Center High School students in calculus demonstrated how they use the STEM classroom for collaboration, problem solving, and engaged learning.



 

 


 

Co-chair of the Governor's STEM Advisory Council and CEO and President of Vermeer Corporation, Mary Andringa and Sioux Center Community School District SuperintendentPat O'Donnell discuss the STEM Classroom in depth.


 

Time to start thinking about summer vacation?

Opportunities for Educators
 
Real World Externships for Mathematics, Science and Technology Teachers aim to help teachers answer the age-old question that students ask; When will I EVER use this?
During the summer, educators work side-by-side with knowledgable and skilled employees who help bring the classroom curriculum to life.

The goals of Real World Externships:
- Create lasting partnerships between businesses and local schools
- Connect Extern experience with STEM content and 21st Century skills identified in the Iowa Core.
- Give students real-world career information about career possibilities right here in Iowa.
- Give teachers the opportunity to see and use the latest real-world applications of STEM in local business or industry.

Externships are full-time, six-week temporary summer positions in local businesses and agencies for secondary teachers of mathematics, science and/or technology. Teachers earn a stipend of up to $4,500, as well as one graduate credit through the University of Northern Iowa's Continuing Education program.


Real World Externships for STEM Teachers
Real World Externships for STEM Teachers

CBiRC Innovation Academy for HS Teachers

At Iowa State University from June 15 - June 26, high school teachers will learn how interdisciplinary science in conducted and the role of innovation in advancing technology using the NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC) as a case study.  

For more information, click here.

 

Research Experiences for HS Teachers

For seven weeks, teachers can gain experience with new instructional tools, research, and develop ongoing relationships with career scientists and engineers in Engineering & Physical Sciences or Molecular Biology and Genomics. This professional development will run from June 8- July 24, 2015 at Iowa State University.

For more information, click here. 

Applications now accepted for STEM Scale-Up programs

The following programs have been approved for 2015-2016.
  • A World in Motion (AWIM)
  • CASE - The "CASE" for Agricultural STEM Education in Iowa
  • Defined STEM
  • Engineering is Elementary (EiE)
  • FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC)
  • HyperStream Technology Hub for Iowa Students
  • KidWind Renewable Energy
  • Project Lead the Way: Computer Science & Software Engineering
  • Project Lead the Way: Engineering
  • Project Lead the Way: Gateway
  • Project Lead the Way: Launch
  • SCI Pint Size Science
  • ST Math
  • Ten80 Student Racing Challenge
Iowa STEM Scale-Up Video
Iowa STEM Scale-Up Video