Hoover Continues to be a State Leader in STEM Education

Maureen Griffin directs the STEM Academy at Hoover High School.

A couple of weeks ago we reported on a presentation by Hoover STEM students to the Iowa STEM Advisory Council’s Site Committee. The school’s STEM Academy was in the running for a STEM BEST grant that would bolster partnerships with colleges and universities, provide learning opportunities at local businesses like DuPont Pioneer, support increased professional development for STEM faculty and underwrite a STEM career counseling center at Hoover.

We were impressed and so did the committee members appear to be but Hoover had to wait for the state’s decision. Late last week it came: Hoover was awarded the STEM BEST grant for the South Central region by the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council.

“I’m so excited for the entire team,” said Dave Bertlshofer of Storey Kenworthy, one of Hoover’s community partners. “It is always great to partner with amazing people like the students and staff at Hoover.  I can’t wait to see what is next.”

“After your students’ presentations, I couldn’t see how any other competing school could have impressed the committee more,” said Dave Walter, IT Director at EFCO Corp., in a congratulatory e-mail to Academy Director Maureen Griffin. “Their testimonials are positive proof that the STEM efforts at Hoover are delivering measurable results.  I’m glad to see the BEST selection committee shared this perspective…The ball is rolling at Hoover and quickly picking up momentum – I can’t wait to see what’s yet to come.  Keep up the great work.”

“All STEM students at Hoover will now have increased opportunities to engage with local STEM businesses/scientists and university professionals through the establishment of a focused space within the counseling center,” said Griffin. “This welcoming physical space will support more personal interactions with students and families and represent a paradigm shift in how Hoover engages in transition planning. The space will provide opportunities for the school counseling team and college planning experts to provide information sharing, academic support, and post high school planning, including completion of scholarship applications, internship interviews, college recruiting, and job placement opportunities.”

Collaborations already underway with Grand View University and the Center for Biorenewables in Chemistry (CBiRC) at Iowa State University will become more extensive and be extended and so will partnerships Hoover has forged in the private sector business community.

“The STEM BEST model allows students to experience a local industry or business environment firsthand that exposes them to STEM career opportunities right in their backyards,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, co-chair of the STEM Council.

“Uniting business and education is a key priority of the STEM Council,” added Dr. Chris Nelson, president and CEO of Kemin Industries and co-chair of the STEM Council. The grants “will help bridge the education to workforce gap by addressing local industry strengths and challenges in each region of the state to ultimately shape the future of Iowa’s economic development.”

Griffin and Hoover’s International Baccalaureate Coordinator Eric Hall, who has been her partner from the beginning of the school’s innovative STEM program, are ecstatic about this latest feather in its cap which is the administrative equivalent of a breakthrough in scientific research.

“We could not have done this without the amazing support of so many,” Griffin said. This is a team effort and a big win for our staff and students. Stay tuned for the next chapter for our STEM Academy as this journey just keeps getting more interesting!”

The presentation to the grant site committee took place in a classroom space designed with money provided by one of the state’s initial batch of STEM grants. And as mentioned it was delivered primarily by current STEM students in support of the school’s grant application.

The Academy at Hoover is on a straight A roll.