High school students encouraged to submit an original app

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Dave Loebsack is excited to announce that students in Iowa's Second District will have the opportunity to participate in the Second Annual Congressional App Challenge (CAC), an app development competition for high school students. Students are invited, either as individuals or as teams, to create and submit their own software application ("app") for mobile, tablet, or other computing devices on a platform of their choice. Apps are created for myriad purposes, from providing entertainment, to monitoring personal health, to facilitating work functions. For the Challenge, students can create any type of app they like, as long as it meets certain functional requirements.

"I am excited that students in Iowa's Second District will have an opportunity to participate in this competition, which is designed to engage students' ingenuity and inspire participation in STEM education fields," said Loebsack. "I encourage all students who have an interest in technology to use their creativity and design an app to enter the competition."

The Challenge submission period is currently open and lasts through January 15, 2016. Winners will be selected by a panel of local judges, and the winning app will be featured on a display in the U.S. Capitol building. Information on how to submit an app for the competition can be found here.

For further information about the Congressional App Challenge, please visit: congressionalappchallenge.us or you can contact Kate Petersen in Loebsack's office at 202-225-6576.

Background Information on the CAC

The CAC was created to recognize that STEM skills are essential for economic growth and innovation, and that the U.S. has been falling behind on these fronts. STEM occupations are projected to grow by 17% between 2008 and 2018, compared to 9.8% growth for non?STEM occupations and according to some estimates, the U.S. may be short as many as 3 million high?skilled workers by 2018. To maintain American competitiveness, it's crucial that the United States invests in our youth now, and helps them acquire these necessary STEM?based skills. The CAC highlights and encourages students to pursue those skills.

###

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today made the following comment on President Obama's rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline.

"It's completely non-sensical.  A lot of jobs in this country are tied to energy and construction.  This was a chance to add more of those jobs.  It was a chance to help meet the country's energy needs and reduce dependence on less reliable foreign sources.  The government's own environmental reviews time and again found no significant impact from this project.   The State Department, in its final Environmental Impact Statement, indicated that blocking the pipeline was unlikely to significantly impact the production of the Canadian oil, so in effect, blocking the pipeline won't change the climate impact, because the oil will still be produced and get to market.  The rejection of the pipeline is clearly a misguided political decision, rather than one made on the facts and merits." 

2014-15 STEM Scale-Up programs reached more than 100,000 preK-12 youth in the state

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Today, the Iowa Governor's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Advisory Council released a nationwide invitation for STEM programs to compete for a unique partnership that allows them to 'scale' across Iowa during the 2016-17 academic year.

Each year, the STEM Council cost-shares with STEM program providers to deliver the programs to more than 2,000 educators both in and out of the classroom at little or no cost. Results from the 2014-15 Iowa STEM Evaluation report show that STEM Scale-Up programs have impacted more than 100,000 preK-12 youth from rural to urban settings and across gender, age, race and ethnicity. On average, students who participate in STEM Scale-Up programs score roughly 6 percentage points higher in mathematics and science on the Iowa Assessments.

"Iowa's STEM Scale-Up program was conceived by leaders on the STEM Council as a means for leveling the playing field across our state and bringing top-quality STEM to PreK-12 learners regardless of their zip code," said STEM Council Executive Director Dr. Jeff Weld. "Now entering year five of the initiative, outstanding program partners have equipped and inspired thousands of educators to ignite the dreams of a quarter million young Iowans in STEM."

The current STEM Scale-Up programs will be asked to reapply alongside other potential new partners who will compete for a spot on the 2016-17 menu of offerings that Iowa's educators can apply for in the spring. Selected programs will demonstrate through their proposals clear evidence of success in increasing student interest and achievement in STEM, as well as inspiring children of diverse backgrounds and abilities by driving connections with business and industry.

For the second year in a row, the STEM Council will partner with the national STEM organization, Change the Equation, that works to build a national registry of exemplary STEM programs, known as the STEMworks Database. The partnership enables applicants to submit simultaneously for STEMworks listing and Iowa's STEM Scale-Up menu. They will be evaluated through Change the Equation's rigorous Design Principles for effectiveness as well as additional state-specific criteria to assess their readiness to expand in Iowa.

"Change the Equation is honored to help the STEM Council identify the most effective STEM programs for its STEM Scale-Up initiative," said Change the Equation CEO Linda Rosen. "Corporate America has long been a leader in its focus on effective STEM programs that deliver a return on the investment. The collaboration between Change the Equation and the STEM Council embodies this critical principle."

The most competitive proposals, which may come from a variety of sources, including academic institutions, nonprofit organizations or the private sector, will be those that are clearly evidence-based, well-planned, targeting areas of need in Iowa and readily scalable across the state. The proposal form is located at http://changetheequation.org/stemworks_application/how-it-works/ia.php and must be submitted by 5:00 pm on Monday, December 7, 2015.

###

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. The STEM Council works to engage and prepare students for a career-ready workforce path, regain the 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 47-member STEM Council is chaired by Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and Kemin Industries President and CEO Dr. Chris Nelson. For more information, visit www.IowaSTEM.gov.

About Change the Equation

Change the Equation works at the intersection of business and education to ensure that all students are STEM literate by collaborating with schools, communities, and states to adopt and implement excellent STEM policies and programs. CTEq's coalition of members are working toward universal STEM literacy by advocating for state policies and practices that are known to produce STEM-literate high school graduates; ensuring high standards for all students; and supporting evidence-based high quality STEM learning programs.

21 States and Private Partners Match Federal Funds to Expand Infrastructure and Increase Fuel Options for Consumers

KISSIMMEE, Fla., Oct. 28, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is partnering with 21 states through the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) to nearly double the number of fueling pumps nationwide that supply renewable fuels to American motorists. In May 2015, USDA announced the availability of $100 million in grants through the BIP, and that to apply states and private partners match the federal funding by a 1:1 ratio. USDA received applications requesting over $130 million, outpacing the $100 million that is available. With the matching commitments by state and private entities, the BIP is investing a total of $210 million to strengthen the rural economy.

"This major investment in renewable energy infrastructure will give Americans more options that not only will suit their pocketbooks, but also will reduce our country's environmental impact and bolster our rural economy," said Vilsack. "The Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership is one more example of how federal funds can be leveraged by state and private partners to deliver better and farther reaching outcomes for taxpayers. The volume and diverse geographic locations of partners willing to support this infrastructure demonstrate the demand across the country for lower cost, cleaner, American-made fuels. Consumers will begin to see more of these pumps in a matter of months."

The 21 states participating in the BIP include Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The amount awarded to each state is available at: www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/energy-programs/bip/index. The final awards being announced today are estimated to expand infrastructure by nearly 5,000 pumps at over 1,400 fueling stations.

A typical gas pump delivers fuel with 10 percent ethanol, which limits the amount of renewable energy that consumers can purchase. The new partnership will increase the number of pumps, storage and related infrastructure that offer higher blends of ethanol, such as E15, E85, and even intermediate combination blends.

USDA's Office of the Chief Economist just released a comprehensive report on ethanol. The report, titled U.S. Ethanol: An Examination of Policy, Production, Use, Distribution, and Market Interactions, brings clarity to the complex interaction of ethanol production with agricultural markets and government policies. The corn ethanol industry is the largest biofuel producer in the country, with production increasing from about 1.6 billion gallons in 2000 to just over 14 billion gallons in 2014, stimulating economic activity in rural communities. Visit www.usda.gov/oce/reports/energy/EthanolExamination102015.pdf to read the complete report.

BIP is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency. For more information, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/energy-programs/index.

#