CEDAR FALLS, IOWA (January 9, 2023) — 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, 6PM.
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 thirteen programs were selected to be offered to pre-K-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.
About the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council: Established in July 2011 via Governor’s Executive Order, the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council is a public/private partnership of educators, companies, and Iowa students and families addressing policies and programs designed to improve Iowa’s educational system focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The STEM Council works to engage and prepare students for a career-ready workforce path, regain our state’s historic leadership position in education, and provide a vital competitive economic advantage now, and for the future, to ensure that every Iowa student has access to world-class STEM education opportunities. The 44-member STEM Council is co-chaired by Governor Kim Reynolds and Foundation Analytical Laboratory Owner and Director of Technical Services Diane Young. For more information, visit iowastem.org.
