Latest news with #OkobojiMiddleSchool
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Iowa STEM teachers and programs honored at State Capitol
DES MOINES, Iowa – Governor Kim Reynolds honored STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) programs from across the state at the Capitol on Monday. Among the honorees were six educators, who were given STEM Teacher of the Year awards. The recipients are: Alex Spooner, 8th grade math teacher and STEM Director at Okoboji Middle School Tara Gray, agriculture science teacher at Marshalltown High School Dan Kuchera, science teacher at Clarksville High School Dustan Kern, STEM teacher at Lewis Central Middle School Maddie Kampf, science teacher at Irving Elementary Chuck Tonelli, science teacher and STEAM Academy Coordinator at Metro Alternative High School Before the awards ceremony, the Capitol rotunda was packed with students from across the state, eager to talk about STEM and what it means for their futures. 'For me STEM is a place where I am able to be myself and be able to connect to other people and help me find the person that I want to be in the future,' said Sam May, junior at Metro High School. Sam added, 'I'm going to be an engineer and maybe a foreman, hopefully in construction and also hopefully start my own robotics team.'Quinlan Akin, a senior at Metro High School, said 'I would like to be a software programmer, so that is my plans for the future. Eventually go to college, get a degree in software programing and become a software programmer.' Eight STEM BEST programs and 10 STEM Scale-Up programs were on display throughout the event. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Okoboji Middle School teacher receives regional 2025 Iowa STEM Teacher Award
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCAU) — A teacher from the Okoboji Community School District is one of six recipients of an award from the Iowa Department of Education. According to a Monday release, Alex Spooner has won the Northwest STEM Region 2025 Iowa STEM Teacher Award. He teaches eighth-grade math and serves as STEM Director at Okoboji Middle School. Iowa Humanitarian Organization converts plastic bags into sleeping mats 'Spooner says he works to make STEM education engaging, inclusive and relevant by tailoring lessons to students' interests including gaming, art and entrepreneurship,' the release states. The six recipients were announced during a ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol on Monday. The awards, which have been given out since 2015, honor teachers for their work in furthering STEM education in Iowa. Each winner will receive one $1,500 gift for personal use and another $1,500 gift for classroom use. You can read the full list of winners below: Northwest Region – Alex Spooner (Okoboji Middle School) North Central Region – Tara Grey (Marshalltown High School) Northeast Region – Dan Kuchera (Clarksville High School) Southwest Region – Dustan Kern (Lewis Central Middle School) South Central Region – Maddie Kampf (Irving Elementary) Southeast Region – Chuck Tonelli (Metro Alternative High School) Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
