"STEM Innovator® is the best professional development decision I have made. Our school wanted to create a unique learning model tailored to our community assets. Our team designed, piloted and pivoted our learning model – within a year! We continue to evolve as we get feedback from our students and community partners, and as we network and learn from other schools engaged in STEM Innovator®. It is important to me, and also to our administrators and community partners, that STEM Innovator® is research-driven. I want to know the work students are engaged in is helping them become future ready."
-Rick Reinking
Director of Strategic Partnerships/ K-12 STEAM
USPTO NSTI Teacher Ambassador
Spirit Lake, IA Community School District
Accomplished link
STEM Innovator® educators have provided over 62,782 secondary students with the opportunity to engage in the innovation, invention and entrepreneurship process by leveraging partnerships with local and national mentors. A large, multi-year longitudinal research study indicates significant growth in 21st Century Skills (Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication), Innovation and Entrepreneurial Skills and Mindsets (Resilience, Adaptability, Leadership, Teamwork, Grit, Decision Making), and NGSS Science and Engineering Practices. Significant growth persists when data is disaggregated by gender, racial classification, and school demographics. The STEM Innovator® platform assists in closing the achievement gap traditionally found in STEM education. The result is a more diverse pool of students who demonstrate and self-identify as having college and career competencies necessary to persist in STEM education and career fields.
Educators complete an interest form: https://jacobsoninstitute.org/stem-innovator/professional-development
Funders and Partners• United States Patent & Trademark Office
• STEMconnector
• STEMIE Coalition
• The Henry Ford
• Lemelson Foundation
• The DLR Group
• Unity Point Healthcare
• State of Iowa Economic Development Funds
• Iowa Governor's STEM Council
• Iowa Bio
Dr. Leslie Flynn, Clinical Asst. Professor of STEM Innovation, The University of Iowa
319.335.2204
The programs in this database clear a high bar. STEMworks reviewed each program against the Design Principles for Effective STEM Philanthropy.
Identify and target a compelling and well-defined need.
Use rigorous evaluation to continuously measure and inform progress towards the compelling need identified.
Ensure work is sustainable.
Demonstrate replicability and scalability.
Create high impact partnerships
Ensure organizational capacity to achieve goals.
Offer challenging and relevant STEM content for the target audience
Incorporate and encourage STEM practices.
Inspire interest and engagement in STEM.
Identify and address the needs of under-represented groups.