NV teacher receives STEM BEST award

Nodaway Valley Elementary School students will soon be able to take advantage of a new initiative one of their teachers was able to gain access to.

The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council at the Department of Education announced the school as one of 29 school districts to receive the 2025-26 STEM BEST (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers) Program award. The STEM BEST Program brings schools and businesses together to provide students with real workplace experiences, introduce businesses and career opportunities in Iowa and gain career-ready skills. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

The STEM BEST Program encourages teachers and industry professionals to work side-by-side to develop a work-based learning model that incorporates STEM subjects like mathematics and science with experiential learning opportunities to emphasize future focused skills for the workplace. The STEM Council’s investment of up to $40,000 for professional and financial support can be used for curriculum development and coordination, educator training and development in workplace-classroom integration and preparing work-based learning environments.

Nodaway Valley Elementary will soon develop an outdoor STEM classroom, providing students age 4-11 with a hands-on learning environment where they can explore science, engineering and nature in meaningful ways. This space will feature an interactive butterfly habitat, complete with a pollinator garden designed to attract monarchs and other species. Students will observe the butterfly life cycle firsthand, from eggs to caterpillars to fully emerged butterflies, using observation tools like magnifying glasses, bug boxes and field journals.

In addition to butterfly studies, the outdoor classroom will include weather stations, water tables and engineering zones allowing students to experiment with natural forces, simple machines, and renewable energy concepts while raised garden beds and composting stations will teach sustainability and life sciences.

To enhance learning, there will be collaboration with local businesses, gardeners, architects, conservationists and STEM professionals who will bring real-world expertise into student projects. Students will work with engineers to design structures, horticulturists to plan and maintain garden spaces, environmental scientists to study biodiversity, and architects to explore design. These partnerships will provide hands-on, career-connected learning experiences, helping students see STEM applications in their own community.

“STEM education is about more than just learning science and math, it’s about problem-solving, critical thinking, and innovation,” says Dakota Stormer, the educator leading the project. “By immersing students in hands-on, real-world challenges, we are preparing them for careers in high-demand fields like engineering, environmental science and technology. This outdoor classroom will give students opportunities to collaborate with professionals, develop resilience through experimentation, and cultivate a passion for lifelong learning. Our goal is to spark curiosity today while building the skills they will need to thrive in the workforce of tomorrow.”

To be considered for a STEM BEST Program award, applicants were required to submit a comprehensive proposal that incorporates rigorous and relevant STEM curriculum, includes valuable partnerships with community businesses or organizations, aligns with STEM goals, addresses sustainability of the model program and evaluates the program’s effectiveness.