Hospers, Iowa — An area elementary school is one of six schools across the state that will each receive a $50-thousand computer science grant through the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced the addition of the six schools receiving the grants to transform themselves into models of innovative computer science instruction through a joint project of the Iowa Department of Education and the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council.
In our immediate area Hospers Elementary, which is in the MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District was named a recipient of one of the grants. The other five schools named are: Pocahontas Elementary in the Pocahontas Area Community School District; Franklin Elementary in the Boone Community School District; Storm Lake Elementary in the Storm Lake Community School District; and Kingsley-Pierson Elementary in the Kingsley-Pierson Community School District. These six schools now join six other Iowa elementary schools named earlier, including: Denison Elementary in the Denison Community School District; Lenihan Intermediate in the Marshalltown Community School District; Cora B. Darling Elementary in the Postville Community School District; East Union Elementary in the East Union Community School District; Perry Elementary in the Perry Community School District; and Richardson Elementary in the Fort Madison Community School District.
The 2019 Iowa Legislature appropriated an additional $1 million for the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, which allowed the Council to designate $300,000 for the six additional schools. Private-sector partners contributed $300,000 for the first six schools, plus $50,000 for Loess Hills Computer Programming School in Sioux City, which inspired the project and will continue to serve as a resource. All 12 schools will start their programs by 2020-21.
The Computer Science is Elementary Project aligns with Future Ready Iowa, which sets the goal of 70 percent of our workforce having education or training beyond high school by the year 2025. The initiative also focuses on strengthening preK-12 education and career exploration and preparation.
