Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed Executive Order 14 on Aug. 16 directing the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council “to ensure that every Iowa student in every geographic location and from every background has access to cutting-edge educational opportunities.” The STEM Advisory Council was first established in July 2011 by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and chaired by then-Lieutenant Gov. Reynolds to develop the K-12 talent pipeline for STEM careers. The order also directs that the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council be co-chaired by the lieutenant governor of Iowa and a co-chair appointed by the governor for a two-year term. Goals and objectives include connecting STEM classroom content with structured work-based learning experiences, driving career exploration and development and recommending policy changes that strengthen K-12 STEM instruction. “Over the past 14 years, the state has provided cutting-edge STEM materials, programs, and work-based learning opportunities for countless Iowa students,” Reynolds said in a prepared statement. “We’ve also empowered STEM teachers to transform the classroom, and we’ve honored their hard-won accomplishments. Even so, the nature of STEM continues to change, and with it the nature of work. Advancements in AI and IT are impacting virtually every career in the market. If we want the next generations of Iowans to be prepared for life outside the classroom, we need to begin equipping them now.”
