Creativity, Optimism, and Persistence

Creativity, optimism, and persistence are essential traits for STEM learning-and for success in life. In our work, we continually explore better ways to strengthen professional learning and develop open-ended materials that help young children engage meaningfully in STEM experiences.

In our STEMwonder Scale-Up program for educators of preschool through 3rd-grade students, we are once again offering three popular STEM experiences: Engineering Ramps & Pathways, Engineering Light & Shadow, and Engineering Balance. Each year, we strengthen our professional learning with new research and upgrade our materials as new technologies emerge.

One example is our STEM experience focused on balance in rotational motion. Children are naturally curious about spinning tops. They love testing different shapes and designs, and this encourages thinking like an engineer - wondering why a top is built a certain way and how design choices affect how it spins.

Imagine if students could design their own tops! Thanks to 3D printing, one of our team members has been reverse-engineering existing 3D printing designs and creating new components that students can assemble and reassemble. These interchangeable hubs and inserts allow students to explore how different design choices change the way a fan blade or spinning to behaves. She models the very traits we hope to cultivate in young learners: creativity in problem-solving, optimism in seeking new solutions, and persistence as she refines each design. Her innovative work captured the attention of Ann Caspari, Early Childhood Education Specialist for the Simthsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. They are now collaborating to provide a similar experience for children and their families in the museum.

 Creativity, optimism, and persistence are qualities we intentionally embed in our STEMwonder experiences and professional learning opportunities. If you've taken an iteration of one of these programs before, we invite you to return and continue learning with us. Refine your approach to questioning. Update your materials. Bring your team with you. Invite newbies! Our opportunities are designed to fit educators' busy schedules - a single summer day and a Saturday of playful learning, a stipend to offset travel, a grad credit to use in license renewal, new classroom materials, and ideas for integrating STEM with literacy.

What more could an educator ask for?

Join us by applying to the STEMwonder Scale-Up Program!

34 DAYS TO APPLY BEFORE THE DEADLINE!

educate.iowa.gov/STEM/ScaleUp

Learning at Deeper Levels

It’s always a joy to hear from educators who have participated in our past Scale-Ups! Many have asked whether they can reapply after completing one or more of our previous programs. The answer is YES! Each year we refresh our materials with new technologies that weren’t available before and update our professional learning based on the latest research. In this 3-year award, we are delving deeper into integrative STEM and literacy.

All of us on the STEMwonder team have real classroom experience with young children, so we know that repeating a professional learning experience often leads to deeper understanding. Each time you revisit similar content, your questions shift, your insights grow, and your solutions become more nuanced.

As we move into the next three years of Scale-Ups, we are thrilled to welcome both new and returning awardees. New participants will be learning how to introduce and implement Engineering, Ramps & Pathways, Light & Shadow, and Balance. Returning participants can support them with practical advice while also refining their own questioning strategies, strengthening how they challenge students’ thinking, and exploring literacy connections within STEM.

Choosing between the Science of Reading and Science/STEM is a false choice. Strong reading instruction and STEM learning go hand in hand. Together, they help students become stronger readers, more confident scientists and engineers, and thoughtful mathematicians!

39 DAYS TO APPLY BEFORE THE DEADLINE! 

educate.iowa.gov/STEM/ScaleUp

A Special Opportunity for Iowa's Educators From the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council

Imagine a classroom where children's natural curiosity becomes the spark for joyful discovery - where questions like How does this work? or What will happen if...? leads to hands-on exploration, meaningful collaboration, and joyful learning.

That's the heart of STEM - and the reason we're proud to share that STEMwonder Experiences has been selected as one of only three partners for the Iowa Governor's STEM Scale-Up Program.

This is an exciting chance to bring imagination-driven STEM experiences to the students who benefit most. STEM starts early.

Who Can Apply?

Informal learning educators and PK-Grade 3 teachers working with children ages 4-8 are encouraged to apply. Whether you're familiar with STEMwonder or brand new to the program, you're welcome - and you'll find updated materials, expanded capabilities, and new research supporting your work.

What Awardees Receive

Starting in July and over three years, awardees will gain professional learning and high-quality classroom materials designed to make STEM come alive:

• 
  2026-2027: Engineering Ramps & Pathways
• 2027-2028: Engineering Light & Shadow
• 2028-2029: Engineering Balance

Each kit is intentionally designed for young learners, offering developmentally rich experiences that grow problem-solving, inquiry, collaboration, and foundational early literacy skills. 

Apply now at https://tinyurl.com/2mfjn6pr. Need assistance? Email regents.center@uni.edu

Curiosity-Creativity-Confidence

Curiosity is what sparks learning. When children wonder about something, they naturally want to explore it, and that curiosity helps them understand the world more deeply. As they ask questions and investigate how things work, they develop inquisitive minds and stronger thinking skills. With the rapid growth of AI, it’s more important than ever for schools to nurture this sense of curiosity—encouraging children to think critically, ask meaningful questions, and explore new ideas.

Curious teachers help create curious learners. When teachers pay attention to what excites children and what captures their interest, it opens the door to creative and effective teaching. At the Iowa Regents’ Center for Early Developmental Education, we’re always exploring how children respond to different phenomena. Our goal is to design hands‑on STEM experiences that honor children’s natural curiosity about the world.

In our work, we create materials that meet four key criteria: producible, immediate, observable, and variable. Children should be able to make something happen on their own, see the result right away, and adjust or vary something to discover a new outcome. Through this process, they build confidence in their ability to figure things out and follow their ideas.

The artifacts you see represent the ongoing work of our curious team. Noticing children’s interest in rotational motion, we set out to design materials that fit our four criteria. To explore new possibilities, our team member Yin dug into how 3D printers work and began creating tops and fan blades with interchangeable parts children can experiment with. What you see on display is our continuing journey in developing these engaging, variable materials. 

What ideas do you have? We'd like to learn from you!