Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council

08/28/2026

T-minus 70 days to launch! 🚀
Will you be there? 🙋

📩 Registration opens soon! Sign up to be notified when it does 👉 https://forms.gle/L8huzqfmE4FsFtG3A

📱And don't forget to make a SCHED account now so you are ready to register and build your personalized agenda!

08/28/2026

✨STEM BEST applications open next week!

There's no need to wait. Create your IowaGrants account today and check out the resources available on our website to start preparing your application with your team!
🔗educate.iowa.gov/STEM/BEST

We can't wait to welcome YOU to the STEM BEST family!

08/25/2026

Thinking about applying for the 2026–27 STEM BEST® Program award?

Join this virtual Idea Lab to connect with veteran STEM BEST® educators and colleagues who have successfully developed innovative work-based learning experiences. Register today!

🔗https://idoe.zoom.us/meeting/register/UOKrnNSnS3qwefPWFZ69OQ #/registration

08/24/2026

Happy first day of school!

Give a deserving STEM teacher a little extra pep in their step as they kick off the new school year by nominating them for the Iowa STEM Teacher Award, sponsored by Google.

Nominations are OPEN NOW! 👇
🔗 educate.iowa.gov/STEM/TeacherAward

08/21/2026

Thank you for hosting!

Business teacher Mahayla Hill spent a portion of her summer at the engineering facility Wellman revamping trainings and finding ways to incorporate real-world experience in the classroom.

08/21/2026

⭐We're putting our 2026 STEM Teacher Externs in the spotlight all summer!

💻Michael Dorland, teacher at Missouri Valley High School, worked at the Guthrie Grove Retreat Center creating a new campus-wide wireless network which included project planning, site surveys, equipment orders, cabling, installation and tuning. Michael setup various network and security configurations to meet the needs of staff and campers at the campground.
🐦Hannah Haarhues-Casey, teacher at Lewis Central Middle School, worked with the nonprofit organization Iowa Young Birders to develop lessons and activities to help teachers integrate more native bird lessons into their units and helped lead a birding session for their outreach program.
🚣‍♀️Shanti Sellz, science teacher at Iowa City's Elizabeth Tate High School, is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District at the Coralville Lake Recreation Area to support land stewardship projects, visitor education, and trail maintenance. She is helping manage heavy-use trails and campgrounds and ensuring the safety and enjoyment of the area by the public.

Let's hear it for these externs! 👏👏👏

08/20/2026

⭐We're putting our 2026 STEM Teacher Externs in the spotlight all summer!

⛺Erin Almelien, teacher at Washington Middle School, worked with Washington County Conservation naturalists at Marr Park as a creative crafts expert for their summer camps. She has helped strengthen the connection between the planned curriculum and hands-on activities by adding creative and engaging twists to each program.
🗂️Ryan Austin, mathematics teacher at Ankeny Centennial High School, helped Accumold management and human resources analyze company training programs for improvement and employee relations.
🎣Adam Hietbrink, pre-algebra teacher at Red Oak 7-12 School, assisted with Iowa Department of Natural Resources at Lewis in fisheries research focused on monitoring blue catfish populations by collecting, identifying, measuring, and recording blue catfish to support population monitoring. He also assisted with aging blue catfish by preparing and examining aging structures and organizing the resulting data.
🔬Jake Lanagan, science teacher at Liberty High School , worked with the Office of Cancer Career Enhancement and Training as part of the University of Iowa Health Care Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center by creating a lesson plan about cancer biology and cancer related careers. He also expanded upon previously created materials.

Let's hear it for these externs! 👏👏👏

08/20/2026

The Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council is collecting nominations for the 2027 Iowa STEM Teacher Award. Nominate an Iowa teacher who covers science, technology, engineering or mathematics related classes for this prestigious award today!

https://educate.iowa.gov/iowa-stem/iowa-stem-teacher-award-program

08/20/2026

😎 STEM BEST Explore has been helping fund STEM programming for 17 Iowa schools this summer!

Forest City high school students interested in being future educators hosted a STEM summer camp for elementary school students, learning valuable skills like lesson planning, time management and adaptability.

08/19/2026

⭐We're putting our 2026 STEM Teacher Externs in the spotlight all summer!

🌳Geoff Maurer, substitute teacher with New Hampton Community Schools, has been working with theIowa Department of Natural Resources wildlife group from Sweet Marsh on facility projects, food, plots dove, and tracking, as well as goose banding.
💻Ryley Robinson, teacher at Marion Independent Marion High School, helped NewBoCo create lesson plans and activities for a summer coding camp by translating new computer science standards for teachers in Iowa and helping with artificial intelligence lesson planning as well as connecting biomimicry with computer science as a way to help drive biology content into a new learning space.
🪚Scott Schiefelbein, industrial technology teacher at Winterset High School, worked at RCS Millwork L.C. to train high school students in the RCS Academy program by helping them develop workplace skills while being safe and respectful. They spend time with various experts learning the trade while applying valuable 21st century skills to different situations.

Let's hear it for these externs! 👏👏👏