Central College will host Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, along with Mary Andringa, the co-chair of the governor’s STEM advisory council and president and CEO of Vermeer Corp., for a STEM town hall meeting May 5.
Reynolds is holding STEM town hall meetings across the state to update Iowans on the progress being made by Gov. Terry Branstad’s STEM Advisory Council, to showcase student STEM work and to seek feedback from communities about how the council should set STEM priorities moving forward. Central College President Mark Putnam is a member of the executive committee of the governor’s STEM advisory council.
“Having the opportunity to engage with the students, parents, educators and workforce who are directly impacted by the Council’s work is extremely rewarding and eye-opening,” said Reynolds. “Each of the town hall stops have provided us a look at the successes and opportunities for further growth in the future and I look forward to doing the same in Pella.”
In coordination with the town hall meeting, Central will host a STEM fest featuring demonstrations by students and faculty. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and Central is committed to providing students a solid foundation in these growing fields.
“Central College is delighted to be an active partner in the governor’s statewide STEM initiative,” said Putnam. “This is an initiative that fully aligns with Central’s role in education, particularly in education for the STEM fields. We are grateful for the lieutenant governor’s leadership, along with her co-chair and Central College trustee emerita Mary Andringa’s, for building such exciting momentum behind the governor’s vision.”
The STEM fest will begin at 1 p.m. in the Harry and Bernice Vermeer Banquet Hall in the Graham Conference Center with refreshments and music from the Flying Pans Steel Band along with a variety of interactive demonstrations, networking opportunities and exhibits. From 1:30 – 2:30 p.m., the lieutenant governor will host the town hall meeting. From 2:30 – 3 p.m., attendees will once again have time to view the demonstrations.
Governor Branstad created the STEM Advisory Council in 2011 as a public-private partnership dedicated to increasing student interest and achievement in STEM and promoting STEM economic development.
The entire STEM fest event is open to the public. For more information about the STEM Advisory Council, visit iowastem.gov.
