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