Featuring Christina Schauer, Director of Clinical and Professional Development at MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center
The Iowa STEM Teacher Externships Program benefits students, teachers and businesses alike, aiming to help teachers answer the timeless question, “When will I ever use this?” Secondary math, science and technology teachers are using their knowledge to lend a hand to workplaces while gaining real-world examples to provide to their students, highlighting opportunities in STEM and inspiring our future STEM leaders.
Teachers who have participated in the STEM Teacher Externships Program have made lasting impacts at their host job sites. Christina Schauer, Director of Clinical and Professional Development at MercyOne, has hosted multiple teacher externs and provided insight on her experience and recommendations for business partners in the STEM Externship Program.
MercyOne joined the STEM Teacher Externships Program as a form of recruitment to fill the workforce issue in healthcare. Schauer acknowledges that the roles open in healthcare take years of education and training and this program provides an opportunity to help young students understand what health career options are available to them in the future. “Everybody knows about doctors and nurses, but not a lot of people understand how much value there is in going after a degree in ultrasound technology or radiology tech,” she said.
Two Iowa biology teachers completed Teacher Externships as MercyOne. The teachers observed career opportunities to present to their students and assisted in projects, including a MercyOne career guide, conducting time studies and revamping in-person and virtual education practices. Schauer was impressed with how quickly the teachers were ready to “hit the ground running” as self-motivated and seasoned professionals.
Having teachers on site highlighted the importance of relationship building and community involvement. Schauer remembers being inspired by the relationship between one of the teachers and her students who were working at the medical center. Seeing teachers nurture their students has shifted Schauer’s mindset for future employee recruitment. Schauer emphasizes we are in a time when people want to see companies and leadership invested in them and their growth. Since working with the externship program, MercyOne created high school internship programs. The MercyOne STEM Teacher Externship opened windows for the community to challenge misconceptions about healthcare and articulate complex demands in need of assistance.
Schauer encourages companies interested in hosting an STEM Teacher Extern to prepare for your externs. “I probably would have planned more projects for them, or maybe more difficult projects for them,” she said. Effectively utilizing externs will help maintain control of your to-do list and priorities.
For more details on how to host a teacher extern, visit: https://iowastem.org/externships-host-interest