With six regional hubs in Iowa and a total of 47 members the STEM Advisory Council is armed with a passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Mary Trent, who for 12 years has served as the Technology Integration Specialist at Kuemper Catholic Schools, was recently appointed to the Northwest STEM Advisory Council as a Board Chair. Trent helps guide policies, allocates funding, and promotes STEM education throughout the region; which can be a challenge when facing old stigmas.
STEM education, Trent says, can set students on a course to land a high paying job in Iowa.
Another challenge for Trent will be educating teachers not only about opportunities to bring programming to schools free of charge through each region’s allotted $500,000 Scale-Up Program, but also how to get every one of those teachers certified.
Trent is up to the challenge to help bring more STEM oriented activities and hands-on education into the classroom. She says they’re just beginning to work on plans to bring a STEM camp to Kuemper this summer which will require extra sets of helping hands.
In March Trent will travel to San Diego, California to give a presentation at the National Catholic Educational Association Conference. She’ll share her experiences from Kuemper and also talk about Iowa’s STEM education program. To learn more, or to volunteer, contact Trent at 792-3313 or via email at mjtrent@kuemper.org.
