Building the best STEM education for Iowa students through the BEST STEMposium

Educators from all across Iowa convened in Earlham last week for the fifth annual BEST STEMposium. The event serves as an opportunity for one host school to showcase how they approach STEM education, for educators from across the state to gather, collaborate and network with like-minded teachers doing similar work and to identify opportunities with new partners or resources.

The BEST STEMposium, held each year in early June, rotates locations to feature a variety of STEM BESTⓇ Program models in different locations throughout the state. Earlham Community School District and the Southwest Iowa STEM Region hosted this year’s event.

BEST STEMposium 2026 kicked off on Sunday evening at the Blank Park Zoo, where attendees were treated to behind-the-scenes tours of the zoo’s conservation efforts including work to help coral in Florida and to track a struggling turtle species in Iowa.

The event shifted to Earlham on Monday where STEM Council Executive Director and Iowa STEM Bureau Chief Justin Lewis and STEM Council co–chair Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer welcomed over 100 attending educators and administrators actively involved in one of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council’s STEM BESTⓇ Program models. The Lieutenant Governor took the opportunity to launch a new STEM BESTⓇ 250 initiative, in conjunction with the America 250 celebration. The initiative recognizes student servant leaders and the projects they are doing across Iowa in service to their communities and others.

Earlham Community Schools Superintendent Steve Kaster and Earlham High School Principal Kristin Sheffield also met with  attendees and shared what makes Earlham Community School District a fitting STEMposium host.

“Our staff has taken the initiative to embed all of what’s STEM into what we do here at school,” Kaster said in his welcoming remarks. “The families and students of Earlham have embraced the STEM mindset. This allows the district to continue supporting our mission statement of empowering innovative, adaptive and resourceful learners.”

The remainder of the day featured Learning Lab breakout sessions with interactive components, discussion and field trips on a wide range of topics such as “Teaching Problem Solving Like an Engineer,” “Roots & Responsibility: Cultivating 5th Grade Scientists and Stewards” and “Built from Scratch: Our FIRST Robotics Journey”. A STEMposium favorite, Mash-Ups, which gets educators talking about their individual STEM BESTⓇ Program models with educators in similar settings, was woven in throughout the day.

Attending educators took special note of sessions that featured student presenters and perspectives.

“I was super impressed with the internship stuff in Earlham, just hearing those kids talk,” said Ryan Friederich, a teacher with Forest City Community Schools’ STEM BESTⓇ Program model. “Two of them were going into education. I said ‘you two could be hired today,’ and they are seniors in high school. Just seeing that real-world connection and listening to some of the community members talk about what the kids do was very cool.”

The final day of the event was held at the Science Center of Iowa (SCI). Attending educators joined sessions exploring innovative materials and approaches to teaching in SCI’s Makerspace and Technology Lab and engaged in hands-on activities and deep conversation centered on AI in education.

Friederich even had a personal connection and full circle moment to this portion of the event.

“Hayden was in my class two years ago, and now he is facilitating one of the sessions here today which is super cool.”

Educators speak highly of the positive impact of connections made at STEMposium and built-in support system of being part of the STEM BESTⓇ network.

“I always have a bunch of takeaways which is why I come every year,” said Becky Herman, a STEM teacher formerly at Iowa BIG and now transitioning to Belle Plaine Community Schools. “I feel like I have lots of resources and new colleagues. I’m always meeting people at this who I can reach out to. The sessions yesterday were timed for exactly what I need right now. I got a ton of different ideas for our work-based learning that we’re going to be focusing on.”

Attendees also see the importance of opportunities like STEMposium beyond their personal gains but for the good of continued growth for STEM education in Iowa.

“With the way that the State has been so supportive, I think if we want to continue to have those resources, we need to pour our time and energy into it too,” Friederich said. “If we want to keep having these opportunities, whether it’s STEM BEST or STEM Scale-Up, then the more people that are involved, the more opportunities there will be.”

For more information on the STEM BESTⓇ Program, visit the department’s STEM BESTⓇ  webpage or contact program coordinator Tanya Hunt at tanya.hunt@iowa.gov.