Venture Academics Receives STEM BEST Grant Award
Programs that celebrate Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers were presented with the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council’s STEM BEST Award.
Linn-Mar’s Venture Academics is one of the 38 school districts recognized as STEM BEST H.D. Program models for 2021.
The program is designed to prepare students for the workforce through curriculum focused on skills needed in job sectors such as computer science/information technology, healthcare professions and advanced manufacturing.
The STEM BEST H.D Program is the result of a special appropriation from the Iowa legislature to expand the STEM BEST (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers) Program to focus efforts on job sectors that are in high demand. It will help build partnerships between schools and businesses, allowing educators and industry professionals to work together to develop curriculum and projects that prepare students for careers in these high-demand fields.
Linn-Mar’s Venture Academics is a new and innovative learning program designed to give students opportunity to earn traditional high school credit through non-traditional, project-based experiences. The Marion Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) provides primary partnership support for Venture, with participation open to both Linn-Mar Community and Marion Independent School District students.
At Venture, students begin by choosing a subject area of interest with associated high school coursework, then proceed to address course learning targets through project-based experiences. Project-based experiences are tied largely to local and area business, government, education, and industry and seek to provide value to both students and community partners. Venture’s STEM learning also receives substantial academic support from the University of Iowa’s Jacobson Institute.
As a recipient of the Iowa Governor’s STEM BEST HD Award, Venture Academics will increase its ability to provide STEM learning, application, evaluation, analysis, and invention in health/medical areas of study. HD funds will focus on extending and expanding Venture’s Health Sciences program by introducing the dynamic Project Lead the Way Biomedical Sciences course. The Principles of Biomedical Science curriculum will be incorporated and blended with Venture’s own unique brand of project-based learning.
Venture Academics Health Science Teacher, Chelsi Snead says, “STEM Education is important because it encourages students to use critical thinking skills to develop innovative ideas while learning science, technology, engineering, and math. The Venture Academics Principles of Biomedical Science course is offered in a several hour time block. This allows students to experience hands on learning opportunities that a traditional classroom cannot offer, such as going out into the community to work with professionals and tour various businesses and medical facilities. Venture also incorporates development of characteristics necessary to be a productive and successful team member, encourages networking, and broadens awareness of career opportunities.”
The STEM Council Executive Committee reviewed and approved of 38 new or expanded partnerships supported by up to $40,000 each. Compared to the traditional STEM BEST Program, STEM BEST H.D. offers a higher grant amount and a lower cost-share requirement for applicants. The awards can be used for facility upgrades, equipment, time for program planning with partners, travel needs or integrating curriculum into existing courses.
The 2022 STEM BEST H.D. Program awardees are:
- BCLUW Community School District
- Bettendorf Community School District
- Bondurant-Farrar Community School District
- Boone Community School District
- Boyer Valley Community School District
- Burlington Community School District
- Central Community School District
- Central Lee Community School District
- Cherokee Community School District
- Davenport Community School District – Central High School
- Davenport Community School District – North High School
- Davenport Community School District – West High School
- Dike-New Hartford Community School District
- Dubuque Community School District
- Fort Madison Community School District
- Johnston Community School District
- Keokuk Community School District
- Lawton-Bronson Community School District
- Lewis Central Community School District
- Linn-Mar Community School District
- Maple Valley-Anthon Oto Community School District
- MFL MarMac Community School District
- Mount Vernon Community School District
- Northeast Community School District
- Osage Community School District
- Pella Community School District
- Pleasant Valley Community School District
- Sheldon Community School District
- Sioux City Community School District
- Spencer Community School District
- Storm Lake Community School District
- Tri-Center Community School District
- Twin Cedars Community School District
- Waterloo Community School District
- West Lyon Community School District
- West Des Moines Community School District
- West Marshall Community School District
- Woodbine Community School District
To be considered for a STEM BEST H.D. Program award, applicants were required to submit a comprehensive proposal that incorporates rigorous and relevant STEM curriculum, valuable partnerships with community businesses or organizations, align with STEM goals, address sustainability of the model program and conduct evaluation of the program’s effectiveness.
For more information on the STEM BEST H.D. Program, please visit www.iowastem.org/besthd.