Iowa Governor, Kim Reynolds, spent about an hour in Carroll Thursday morning touring the Kuemper Catholic School System. The visit focused primarily on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiatives in the school. Reynolds, who is a strong advocate for STEM education, dropped in on several classrooms at the high school and at Holy Spirit Elementary. She says it is always a pleasure to see students engage fully in their education.
Reynolds was particularly impressed by a classroom of elementary students learning the basics of coding. They used a tool from Fisher-Price called a Code-a-pillar, which allows even young learners to understand how computers think. Reynolds says the economy is continually shifting more and more towards STEM fields, so getting students started as early as possible is of the utmost importance.
While STEM is a priority across Iowa’s educational landscape, Reynolds says they are also working to find ways to maintain art as a key aspect of the schools’ curriculum.
Reynolds closed out her visit with a roundtable discussion including teachers, administrators and her staff. Photos from the tour can be found included with this story on our website. Prior to coming to Carroll, Reynolds attended an employer reentry roundtable at the North Central Correctional Facility in Rockwell City. Carroll Broadcasting will bring you more from Reynolds on those discussions in an upcoming newscast.
