Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Launches Leadership Plans to Restore Iowa’s Tops-in-the-Nation Standing
DES MOINES, IOWA (November 7, 2011)– Identifying next steps that will lead to a rapid implementation of programs that will inspire Iowa’s youth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) was the top priority for the day as council co-chairs Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and University of Northern Iowa (UNI) President Benjamin Allen convened the 40-member Governor’s STEM Advisory Council on October 31 at the Science Center of Iowa in Des Moines.
Lt. Governor Reynolds and President Allen presented the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Executive Committee’s strategic vision which included the organization of regional STEM hubs, identification and scale-up of successful STEM-focused programming at the pre-K through post-secondary level and consideration of an evaluation component to measure the effectiveness of programming.
“Math, science, engineering and technology innovation are the soul of creativity and the engine of economic progress,” said Jeff Weld, executive director, Governor’s STEM Advisory Council. “The future well-being of our youth and the relevance of our state hang in the balance as this group of leading thinkers take on something of a Manhattan Project for Iowa: building a STEM-literate citizenry and first tier modern workforce.”
Change the Equation’s Dr. Linda Rosen and Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES) president Jan Morrison provided a national perspective regarding the state of mathematics and science education to the council.
Rosen from Change the Equation, a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established last year to align corporate efforts to improved learning in STEM, said the need for STEM-related skills in the workforce has increased substantially over the last 45 years. Based on the evolution of our economy, jobs that require a four-year or associate/trade degree have increased from 28% in 1973 to a projected 62% in 2018. “According to the statistics, for every one chemist, there is the need for 1.4 chem techs. And for every engineering job, there is the need for 1.9 engineering techs,” said Dr. Rosen. “There is a need for STEM knowledge and STEM literacy in our workforce, at all levels, like never before.”
Morrison, executive director of TIES, a group focused on school design and equity issues to help solve the STEM talent gap, touched on the necessity of developing a STEM culture and noted that Iowa currently has a strong foundation. “Iowa has glorious STEM assets,” said Morrison. “Even in rural areas – there are so many developments in ag, for our kids in 4H and business.” Morrison went on to say why the state is on the right path. “Iowa – you have [created] a STEM education roadmap. You have brought together a group of individuals – business, education – with a common vision and with established targets. You know where you stand and where your feet are planted. You are just learning that education, workforce and economic vitality are not separate things. Congratulations!”
Working sessions involved advisory council members in action planning toward seven priorities established by the executive committee. Those priorities are STEM teacher preparedness; public policy; technology-enhanced instruction in the classroom; learning accommodations for the gifted, the underrepresented and the nontraditional; student readiness for STEM careers; public/private partnerships and mapping STEM to economic development; and public awareness regarding the importance of STEM for the economy and society. Ultimately, action plans developed by these groups will be incorporated into 1-year and 5-year strategic plans for Iowa.
The 13-member Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Executive Committee will meet on November 14. The entire Governor’s STEM Advisory Council will meet again on January 25, 2012.
More details can be found at: http://iowaeducation.iowa.gov/iowa-education-summit/stem/ .
Those interested in being involved in the work of the council may contact Jeff Weld at imsep@uni.edu.
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The Iowa Mathematics and Science Education Partnership (IMSEP) is the program arm of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council as well as an inter-university STEM initiative headquartered at the University of Northern Iowa. IMSEP’s goals are to improve mathematics and science performance of Iowa students; to prepare more high quality mathematics and science teachers for Iowa’s schools; and to promote statewide collaboration and cooperation. For more information regarding IMSEP, go to www.iowamathscience.org.