 Linn Mar Venture student, Allie Katuin practices phlebotomy skills in Biomedical Science strand.
Elyssa McDowell, Linn-Mar Community Schools coordinator of their Venture Academics school-to-work program, experienced a full circle moment as an educator. One of the students who took part in Venture Academics, Allie Katuin, toured a local hospital to learn about job opportunities and recently joined the hospital as part of the staff. Katuin plans to work part time at the hospital while she finishes high school, attends college and then return to the hospital after earning a degree in the medical field. Reflecting on her experiences in the Venture program, Katuin said she is thankful for the opportunities that Venture has provided her.
McDowell credits the STEM Council’s STEM BEST Program with helping establish the biomedical exploration pathway at Venture Academics. The program also provided the tools and support for an innovative and professional learning environment.
“The STEM BEST Program allowed us to offer the Biomedical Science course which has provided fabulous opportunities for students to connect to the medical field,” said McDowell. “Students get to learn about careers available to them in their own community and also develop relationships and connections with adult professionals. Students' learning is enhanced and elevated as they learn standard industry practices.”
The STEM BEST Program is accepting applications for schools interested in fostering workplace experience for students. McDowell offers the following advice for launching a STEM BEST Program, “Start small. Talk with teachers and administrators to identify needs. Consider what groups of students will benefit from the opportunity and how you will plan to market to them.”
 Students at Central Community School explore velocity hands-on through the STEM Scale-Up Program Positive Physics.
Chemistry, physics and general science look a little different this year at Central Community School. Brian Ungerer, Central Community School middle and high school science teacher, along with Logan Kutsch, Central Community School student teacher, have been incorporating STEM Scale-Up Program Positive Physics in class to liven up learning.
“The program is very easy to set up and use,” said Ungerer. “You can use it in several different ways. You can modify the assessments and practice work to meet your students' needs. Each student has their own account and the program keeps track of work completed.”
Positive Physics is one of 13 world-class STEM programs scaled across Iowa during the current academic year. Approximately 1,300 public and private school educators, youth organization leaders, informal education professionals, home schoolers and others who deliver STEM education programming have been engaging students in these innovative programs.
Students who participate in the Scale-Up Program annually perform better on statewide tests and expressed more interest in STEM subjects and pursuing a STEM career.
The STEM Scale-Up Program reaches nearly 100,000 students and more than 1,000 educators each year with top quality STEM programs. To learn more about the program, visit iowastem.org/scale-up.
 McKinley Elementary School Teacher Eric Yerington participated in the 2023
Iowa STEM Teacher Externships Program at Bayer where he worked to improve the
efficiency of a particular testing method.
Many Muscatine students are learning how STEM learning connects to local careers, thanks to last summer’s STEM Teacher Externships Program. Six teachers from four schools in the Muscatine school district took part in the six-week program this past summer. Eric Yerington, teacher at McKinley Elementary School completed an Externship at Bayer where he modified a testing method to make compounds more efficiently, which could potentially save the company many hours and dollars during the course of a year.
“The entire Externships Program is a win for everyone,” said Yerington. “The host sites get an extra pair of hands and help with projects that they may not have time for, the extern gets to learn new things and have new experiences, the students get to learn from the experiences of the extern and so much more. Through the Externship I have been placed outside of my comfort zone sometimes; I’ve been stretched beyond what I thought I could do; I’ve learned so many new things; and I’ve also had a ton of fun.”
The Externships Program creates lasting partnerships between workplaces and local schools through which teachers can connect workplace experiences with STEM content and 21st century skills. Externs are better equipped to provide students with information about career possibilities in Iowa by applying real-world applications of STEM disciplines in a local business or industry.
The STEM Council is currently seeking places of work interested in hosting a teacher extern for the summer of 2024. To learn more, visit iowastem.org/externships.
 Families enjoyed the hands-on events at the Wayne County STEM Festival at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Corydon
From the science of falling leaves to the October crop harvest, the fall season in Iowa produces a brilliant display of STEM. In each of the STEM Council’s six regions, fall also brings about a number of exciting opportunities in hands-on, experiential learning. One of the many awe-inspiring options include STEM Festivals, a community-wide event that sparks interest in STEM learning and applies hands-on education activities to careers in Iowa.
Festivals are generally comprised of community-based organizations and businesses that offer an array of STEM activities for youth and adults to take part in at their leisure. From engineering design challenges and robotics to herpetology and chemical reactions, these events are crowd-pleasing for all ages.
Upcoming Fall STEM Festivals dates include:
- November 7, 2023: Computer Science Playground
- November 9, 2023: Siouxland Aviation Festival
- November 16, 2023: Northeast Iowa Family STEM Festival
Communities are encouraged to get involved as exhibitors. Past exhibitors come from various business and industry sectors including agriculture, architecture, engineering, computer science, construction, energy and utilities, environmental, financial, law enforcement, fire and rescue, manufacturing, medical and more.
“Keeping talented individuals in small communities is vital to continued growth and success of local businesses,” said Becca Bellman, Corydon Hy-Vee’s General Manager and recent exhibitor at the Wayne County STEM Festival. “By showing young people interesting careers close to home, we hope to establish an interest that will carry on when they are ready for the workforce, keeping family ties strong and kids close.”
To learn more about attending or exhibiting at upcoming STEM festivals, visit iowastem.org/parents.
Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council
Iowa Department of Education
214 East Bartlett Hall
University of Northern Iowa
319.273.2959
Info@IowaSTEM.org
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