Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council

What Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council does

The Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council is a state government advisory body operating under the Iowa Department of Education, headquartered at 400 E 14th St, Des Moines, Iowa. Established by executive order of the Iowa Governor, the Council coordinates statewide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education initiatives across six regional STEM networks that cover the entirety of Iowa. Its portfolio centers on three signature programs — STEM BEST (business-education partnerships), STEM Scale-Up (research-based curriculum delivery), and STEM Teacher Externships (summer industry placements) — complemented by recognition vehicles (STEM Teacher Award, STEM Seal of Approval), scholarships for career-changers entering STEM teaching, a resource library, and annual convening events including the BEST STEMposium and STEM Summit.

Programs and resources are delivered at no cost to Iowa K-12 schools, educators, and students, with funding sourced from Iowa state government appropriations channeled through the Department of Education. Distribution is anchored by Iowa's nine Area Education Agencies (AEAs), which serve as the primary delivery channel for STEM Scale-Up content, and by six regional STEM coordinators who drive local adoption across the state. Corporate partners participate through the STEM BEST program by hosting teacher externships, providing curriculum input, and sponsoring events. There is no disclosed pricing structure, commercial revenue model, or proprietary technology platform; the Council's core product is program orchestration, coordination, and content delivery across Iowa's existing public education infrastructure.

Name

Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council

Legal name

Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council

Website

https://iowastem.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council is a state government advisory body under the Iowa Department of Education that coordinates STEM education programs across Iowa through six regional networks, serving K-12 schools, educators, and corporate partners at no cost.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government STEM Education Services

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (923110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM & Maker Education (Makerspaces, Coding Clubs, Robotics) (EDAAAFAL)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• K-12 STEM curriculum
• Teacher professional development
• Industry-education partnerships
• Educator scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedar Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. State Government Funding: The council operates as part of the Iowa Department of Education, funded through state government appropriations. Programs such as STEM Scale-Up, STEM BEST, and teacher professional development are funded through state education budgets.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council is a state government advisory body under the Iowa Department of Education that coordinates statewide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education initiatives across Iowa. It delivers signature programs such as STEM BEST (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers), STEM Scale-Up (statewide curriculum access), STEM Teacher Externships, the STEM Teacher Award, the STEM Seal of Approval, and STEM Scholarships for Educators, connecting K-12 schools, students, teachers, and Iowa businesses.

Product overview

Iowa STEM is a state government education initiative operated under the Iowa Department of Education, governed by the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council. The program offers a portfolio of signature programs including STEM BEST (business-education partnerships), STEM Scale-Up (curriculum access), and STEM Teacher Externships (professional development), complemented by recognition programs like the STEM Teacher Award and STEM Seal of Approval. Additional offerings include STEM Scholarships for Educators, a resource library, and event programming such as the annual STEM Summit. The initiative operates across six STEM Regions throughout Iowa and maintains corporate partnership opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STEM BEST: Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers for authentic learning.
• STEM Scale-Up
• STEM Teacher Externships

Products and services

• STEM BEST

Quantifiable outcome

• Fifth annual BEST STEMposium held in 2026, bringing together educators from across Iowa

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Iowa Area Education AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe STEM Scale-Up program is distributed through Iowa's nine Area Education Agencies, which serve as the primary delivery mechanism for STEM curriculum and professional development to school districts statewide. This partnership leverages existing education infrastructure for statewide program implementation.
• Iowa Corporate PartnersflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIowa businesses engage with the STEM Advisory Council through the Corporate Partners program, participating in initiatives like STEM BEST (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers). Companies provide workplace experiences for teacher externships, sponsor STEM events, and contribute to curriculum development that reflects real-world industry needs.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Code.org: National nonprofit expanding access to computer science education in K-12 schools. Comparable as a STEM education program provider that often partners with state-level initiatives to scale curriculum access.
• National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI): National nonprofit improving STEM education through teacher training, student programs, and college readiness. Comparable as a multi-state STEM program operator working in partnership with districts and corporate sponsors.
• Project Lead The Way (PLTW): National nonprofit providing preK-12 STEM curriculum and teacher professional development across the U.S. Comparable curriculum delivery and teacher PD offerings that compete for adoption by Iowa districts and similar state STEM programs.

Regional players

• STEM Learning (UK): UK-based national STEM education charity operating regional networks and supporting teachers and schools. Comparable as a national-scale STEM coordination body with regional delivery, though serving a different geography than the Iowa Council.

Direct peers

• Colorado STEM (Governor's STEM Advisory Council): Colorado's STEM coordination body supporting K-12 STEM education statewide. Comparable structure (governor-backed advisory council), comparable programs (curriculum access, teacher externships), and comparable funding model (state appropriations).
• Tennessee STEM Advisory Council: Tennessee's state-level STEM advisory body coordinating STEM education programs across K-12 districts. Closely mirrors the Iowa Council in scope (statewide STEM coordination, advisory council structure, public-private partnerships).
• Mass STEM Hub: Massachusetts statewide STEM education initiative supporting K-12 schools and educators through partnerships, programming, and resources. Directly comparable in customer base, mission, and partnership-driven delivery model.
• Ohio STEM Learning Network: Statewide STEM education coordinating network for Ohio, organized through regional hubs and serving K-12 educators and students. Directly comparable in mission (statewide STEM coordination), structure (regional delivery model), and customer base (K-12 schools and corporate partners).
• Pennsylvania STEM Ecosystem: Statewide network coordinating STEM education across Pennsylvania schools, industry, and community organizations. Comparable to the Iowa Council as a state-level coordinating body linking K-12, business, and government stakeholders.

Emerging players

• Battelle Education: Nonprofit arm of Battelle Memorial Institute focused on STEM education, including operation of the Ohio STEM Learning Network. Comparable through STEM education coordination and curriculum delivery, though backed by a large private R&D organization rather than state appropriations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iowastem
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/iastem
• Facebookfacebook.com/IowaSTEM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iowastem

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council