What Idaho STEM Action Center does

Idaho STEM Action Center is a state government agency established under Idaho Code 67-823 in 2015 and operationalized in 2017, headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with a staff of approximately 9. The organization is housed within the Idaho Workforce Development Council following a 2022 integration bill and serves as the state's official coordinator for STEM education, connecting Idaho K-12 students, PK-12 educators, employers, museums/libraries/nonprofits, and rural communities across six regional college campuses (College of Southern Idaho, Boise State University, College of Eastern Idaho, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, and North Idaho College). Its mandate is to address Idaho's STEM workforce gap by linking classroom learning to in-demand careers in technology, energy, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing.

The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including: i-STEM Summer Institutes (four-day educator professional development), the Idaho STEM Externship Program (100+ educators partnered with 50+ industries in 2025, paying $5,000 for 200 hours of industry work), Idaho Science & Engineering Fairs (IDSEF, three regional competitions), STEM Connect Grants ($10K-$20K), EcosySTEM Mini-Grants ($500-$2,500), STEM School Designations (up to $10K annually to designated schools, with 11 schools and 1 program designated as of 2025), Learning Blade (free interactive platform for grades 5-9 funded for all Idaho public schools), i-STEM Libraries (six-campus lending network), Ready For Industry career-readiness courses, Computer Science Week/Hour of AI, and the STEM Diploma recognition program.

The revenue model is hybrid: state appropriations through the Workforce Development Council plus external fundraising from corporate sponsors (Micron as Flagship sponsor; Rocky Mountain Power Foundation, Bayer Foundation, Meta, Perpetua Resources, Dairy West, Idaho Central Credit Union, Avista as Major sponsors), industry partners (Idaho National Laboratory, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, St. Luke's Health System), and grants (notably a $99,500 NSF grant in 2020 and $1.75M in external funding raised in FY20). Programs are predominantly free to Idaho public educators and students, with modest registration fees for private/homeschool participants. The organization is governed by an advisory board composed of industry and education representatives and is supported by an affiliated nonprofit, the Idaho STEM Action Foundation.

Name

Idaho STEM Action Center

Legal name

Idaho STEM Action Center

Website

https://stem.idaho.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Idaho STEM Action Center is a Boise-based state agency that coordinates statewide STEM education by connecting K-12 students, educators, employers, and nonprofits through professional development, grants, competitions, and career-exposure programs delivered across six regional college campuses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education and Workforce Development

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (92311), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Tuition Assistance & Voucher/ESA Program Administration (EDADAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

STEM Competitions & Olympiads (Science Bowls, STEM Challenges) (EDAMABAL)

Keywords

• STEM education coordination
• Educator professional development
• Workforce development programs
• STEM school designation
• STEM grant funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Boise

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: State-funded agency under Idaho Workforce Development Council providing coordination for statewide STEM education and activities.
2. External Funding & Sponsorships: Raises external funding from industry partners including sponsorships of student competitions, grants, and private industry support. In FY20 raised over $1.75M in external funding.
3. Donations: Accepts donations to support STEM education programs including i-STEM, Idaho STEM Externship Program, and Computer Science education opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Idaho STEM Action Center is a state government agency that coordinates statewide STEM education by connecting students, educators, and employers through programs such as i-STEM professional development, the Idaho STEM Externship Program, Idaho Science & Engineering Fairs, STEM School Designation, and STEM Connect Grants. It operates six regional i-STEM locations across Idaho in partnership with colleges and universities, distributes free Learning Blade curriculum licenses to public schools, and administers EcosySTEM Mini-Grants to support community-based STEM learning.

Product overview

Idaho STEM Action Center operates as Idaho's central hub for STEM education coordination, offering a portfolio of interconnected programs that connect students, educators, and employers. The core offerings include i-STEM Summer Institutes for educator professional development, the Idaho Science & Engineering Fairs (IDSEF) for student research competitions, and the Idaho STEM Externship Program bridging classroom learning with industry experience. Financial support is provided through STEM Connect Grants ($10,000-$20,000) and EcosySTEM Mini-Grants ($500-$2,500), while the STEM School Designation program recognizes schools meeting state STEM standards. Learning Blade provides interactive digital curriculum for grades 5-9, and i-STEM Libraries operates a six-campus lending network for educator resources. Additional programs include Computer Science Week/Hour of AI, Ready For Industry career training, and the STEM Diploma recognition program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Learning Blade: Interactive online lessons and career exploration system for 5th to 9th graders covering STEM and computer science careers
• Idaho Ready for Industry
• Hour of AI
• Career Blade

Products and services

• i-STEM Summer Institutes Four-day summer professional development experience for PK-12 educators offering hands-on, project-based learning in science, technology, engineering, and math across all grade levels. Hosted at six locations statewide, connecting teaching to Idaho's in-demand careers.
• Idaho Science & Engineering Fairs (IDSEF) Regional science fair competitions (NISEF, WISEF, EISEF) affiliated with the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair, providing Idaho high schoolers opportunities to showcase original STEM research projects.
• Idaho STEM Externship Program Program connecting Idaho K-12 educators with industry professionals for immersive summer workplace experiences, providing $5,000 compensation for 200 hours of work at STEM-related businesses, with professional development credit available through Boise State University.
• STEM Connect Grants Grants ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 supporting hands-on, community-based STEM experiences outside school hours, available to Idaho museums, libraries, after-school programs, and youth-serving nonprofits.
• EcosySTEM Mini-Grants Regional mini-grants of $500 to $2,500 supporting existing STEM programs and projects that connect STEM learning to career and workforce pathways, awarded through regional EcosySTEM hubs.
• STEM School Designation Program State Board of Education-recognized designation for public schools and programs meeting STEM standards, with financial sponsorship up to $10,000 annually for designated schools and an additional $5,000 per year upon recertification.
• Computer Science Education Week / Hour of AI Annual Computer Science Education Week event and Hour of AI initiative raising awareness of educational and career opportunities in computer science for Idaho students.
• Learning Blade Interactive online lessons and teacher resources for grades 5-9 covering STEM and computer science careers, featuring over 400 standards-aligned lessons, career videos, coding activities, and 3D printing projects, with free 3-year site licenses for all Idaho public schools.
• i-STEM Libraries Network of six regional lending libraries on college campuses offering STEM tools, kits, equipment, and technology resources for Idaho educators (including classroom teachers, after-school care providers, early childhood educators, camp leaders, and homeschool collaboratives) to borrow for classroom use at no cost.
• Ready For Industry Self-paced career readiness courses providing free access to workforce training in Idaho's in-demand industries including construction, healthcare, information technology, and logistics.
• STEM Diploma Recognition program for graduating seniors who have pursued rigorous STEM coursework beyond state graduation requirements, honoring students who meet enhanced STEM education standards.

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2025, more than 100 educators partnered with over 50 industries statewide through the Externship Program.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)majorTechnology or Integration · 11 August 2021Collaboration on cloud-computing education effort announced August 2021 to prepare students for digital economy.
• Boise State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizational collaborator for i-STEM professional development programs. Hosts i-STEM summer institute at Boise State University campus. Partnership includes Boise State University College of Education for PD credit for educators.
• Idaho Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on i-STEM program development and CS for All initiatives. State agency partner for education policy alignment.
• Idaho Workforce Development CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization hosting Idaho STEM Action Center. Provides oversight and integration of STEM and workforce development initiatives.
• Idaho National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor industry partner and sponsor of STEM programs. Board Chair Jennifer Jackson serves as K-12 STEM program manager at INL. SupportsExternship Program and student outreach.
• Idaho State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts i-STEM summer institute at ISU campus. Partnership includes Energy Systems Technology & Education Center (ESTEC) for technical advisory.
• College of Southern IdahocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts i-STEM summer institute and i-STEM Library location. Regional partner serving Magic Valley educators.
• College of Eastern IdahocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts i-STEM summer institute and i-STEM Library location. Regional partner serving eastern Idaho educators.
• Lewis-Clark State CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts i-STEM summer institute and i-STEM Library location. Regional partner serving north-central Idaho educators.
• North Idaho CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts i-STEM summer institute and i-STEM Library location at Gizmo-CdA maker space. Regional partner serving north Idaho educators.
• College of Western IdahocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts i-STEM summer institute and i-STEM Library location. Major regional partner in southwest Idaho.
• Schweitzer Engineering LaboratoriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Ed Atienza serves as R&D Engineering Manager. Industry partner providing STEM mentorship and technical expertise.
• Idaho Innovation CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternship host site providing extern experiences in innovation, food truck village, and community engagement projects.
• St. Luke's Health SystemmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternship host site and board member Erin Simms serves as SVP Chief Talent & People Officer. Healthcare industry partner.
• Idaho Department of LaborcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Jani Revier serves as Director. State agency partner for workforce development integration.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tennessee STEM Innovation Network: State-level STEM coordination network operating in Tennessee with regional hubs, employer partnerships, and STEM school designation programs that closely mirror the Idaho STEM Action Center's structure and mission.
• Ohio STEM Learning Network: Statewide STEM education network run by Battelle that coordinates regional STEM hubs, professional development, and industry-education partnerships across Ohio, functionally similar to the Idaho model.
• California STEM Network: Statewide coalition coordinating STEM education across California, with regional partnerships, employer engagement, and policy advocacy comparable to the Idaho STEM Action Center's coordination role.
• 100Kin10: National network focused on recruiting, training, and retaining 100,000 STEM teachers, directly comparable to the Center's Externship Program and i-STEM educator professional development mission.

Broad incumbents

• Battelle: Large R&D organization that operates the Ohio STEM Learning Network and runs STEM education programs nationwide, making it a comparable large-scale operator of state STEM coordination infrastructure.
• Code.org: National nonprofit promoting computer science education, directly comparable to the Center's CS for All implementation, Hour of AI/CS Week, and STEM Diploma programs in Idaho.

Emerging players

• Project Lead the Way: National nonprofit providing STEM curriculum, professional development, and career pathways to K-12 schools, directly comparable to the Center's Learning Blade and i-STEM program mix, though at much larger scale.
• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): National STEM competition and education organization running robotics and challenge programs for K-12, directly comparable to the Center's Idaho Science & Engineering Fairs (IDSEF) competition portfolio.

Regional players

• STEM Education Coalition: National advocacy and policy coalition promoting STEM education funding, comparable to the Center's statutory policy work (CS for All, STEM School Designation legislation) and federal funding engagement.

Others

• Idaho STEM Action Foundation: Nonprofit foundation affiliated with the Idaho STEM Action Center (est. October 2017) that engages businesses and manages donations; included because it shares the Center's mission, leadership, and donor relationships from a 501(c) vehicle.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IdahoSTEMAC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/IdahoSTEMActionCenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/IdahoSTEMAC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/idaho-stem-action-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/IdahoSTEMAC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Idaho STEM Action Center