The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council announced Mount Vernon Community School District as one of 38 school districts receiving the STEM BEST (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers) H.D. Program models for 2021. The STEM BEST H.D. 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 Program to focus efforts on job sectors that are in high demand. The program 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.
Mount Vernon’s BEST program will focus on an exciting building project involving students at all three buildings in advanced manufacturing activities from demolition to design, to building and outfitting with technology.
“STEM education brings everyone together,” said Susannah Maddock, teacher at Mount Vernon schools who applied for the grant. “STEM allows many different student strengths to shine. We are using the award to fund a school bus-to-classroom conversion project, in which student teams will participate in every aspect, from demolition to design, buildout, and equipping with technology.
“If you have never seen a bus turned into a state-of-the-art classroom, check out some pictures online. This project is going to be so much fun, and so valuable to our district. We are grateful for our business partnerships, who will help our students become comfortable and knowledgeable in the high-demand world of modern design and manufacturing.”
The school is excited to share its progress with the community once the work gets started, so stay tuned to the district’s social media for updates. Kris Perreault Construction, Nelson Electric, and Rabe Solar have all signed on to work with the students and the district on the project, which will be finished by August 2023.
Mount Vernon superintendent Greg Batenhorst said renovating the old school bus will begin this summer, after the school has found a bus to be purchased.
“Part of the beginning of the project will be demoing elements of the bus to accommodate this learning environment,” Batenhorst said. “We’ll have local contractors who will be working with us on this project, and part of the grant we received requires students to be involved in the project as well, so members of our industrial technology classes will get experience on this project as well.”
The classroom space in the renovated bus will be located behind Washington Elementary school.
Batenhorst said the project was a neat opportunity Maddock had seen for the district and they applied hoping to receive the grant. Mount Vernon was one of 38 communities selected for the STEM BEST program’s $40,000.
The STEM Council Executive Committee reviewed and approved 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, values partnerships with community businesses or organizations, aligns with STEM goals, addresses sustainability of the model program and conduct evaluation of the program’s effectiveness.