By: Carrie Rankin, Managing Director for the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council
Physics plays an important role in sports. The angle of the foot and the force behind the kick are key components to making difficult shots. #STEMinYourWorld
Since creation, the mission of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council has been to raise interest in and awareness of STEM education in Iowa. This message has evolved and circulated throughout the state in the last seven years with the help of STEM advocates talking and working with each other to integrate STEM learning in business, industry, legislature, schools, libraries, and other locations throughout the state. This diverse and vast group of STEM supporters represent some of the most important components of STEM: inclusivity, creativity and collaboration.
Often times, STEM is regarded as the acronym for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics,” however STEM can and should also be viewed as an overall interdisciplinary approach to learning. STEM education encourages skills, such as problem-solving, critical thinking and communication to be interwoven into STEM principles, working seamlessly to provide a complete academic foundation that inspires minds and strengthens Iowa’s economic and workforce development.
With all this in mind, the Iowa STEM team organized a social media campaign (#STEMinYourWorld) to showcase anyone and everyone who recognizes the various applications and activities where STEM is present, including science experiments, exploring in nature, solving math problems, but also less traditional examples such as cooking, building things and even playing computer games.
The “STEM in Your World” social media campaign garnered more than 125 different submissions and thousands of impressions showing real-world photos and videos of Iowans practicing and admiring STEM. These submissions were displayed at STEM Day at the Iowa State Fair on Sunday, August 19 in a live exhibit where individuals passing by could be inspired by their own peers.
Thank you to our STEM supporters across the state who continue to demonstrate STEM in their lives every day.
Engage with us online using #STEMinYourWorld to share examples of STEM in your everyday life!