Poster walk to spotlight student STEM research, projects

New to the Iowa STEM Summit this year, a student poster walk will showcase the innovative research, projects and ideas of Iowa high school students. Proposals are being accepted through Oct. 1.

"The student poster walk is a fantastic opportunity to highlight the ideas and perspectives of Iowa students, and we are thrilled to introduce it as a new addition to the Iowa STEM Summit experience," said Justin Lewis, bureau chief for Iowa STEM at the Iowa Department of Education. "The STEM Council is incredibly proud of our Youth Ambassador group that has taken ownership of this project and brought this idea to life with the support and guidance of their advisors. It is inspiring to see the impact young people can have when they are empowered and given the opportunity to lead."

Students enrolled in an Iowa public or accredited nonpublic high school are eligible to create a poster or tri-fold display that shares a STEM research topic or STEM-based project. Posters should align with the Iowa STEM Summit's education-focused mission by providing meaningful learning or practical value to attendees by emphasizing original research, experiments, data analysis, or community-based initiatives rather than promoting a specific product, service or brand.

The student poster walk is designed to give students an opportunity to share ideas, hone presentation skills, learn from fellow students, get feedback from educators and industry professionals and engage with the broader Iowa STEM community.

"We want the poster walk to be an opportunity for students to showcase the work they've put into their passion projects and inspire other students to start projects of their own," said Erin Chen, student co-lead of the Iowa STEM Youth Ambassadors Group. "We hope educators walk away with a better understanding of how students can make an impact in their communities and how educators can support them. Most importantly, we hope other students see what their peers have accomplished and realize that they can turn their own ideas into action too."

Each poster can have up to four student presenters. Students may conduct their research and develop their poster with a variety of mentors; however, each student group must identify an educator from their school to serve as their educator mentor. The educator mentor is intended to provide a connection between the students' poster walk experience and their school or community by helping students participate fully in the event and encouraging continued conversation and connections as a result of the Iowa STEM Summit.

If selected, students will present their posters during the Iowa STEM Summit. Educator mentors should plan to accompany them at the event in Des Moines on Nov. 6.

The Iowa STEM Summit is free to attend, though registration is required. Meals and refreshments will be provided to registered attendees and presenters during the event.

Visit the Iowa STEM Summit event page to learn more information, view session details and register. Contact the Iowa STEM team at [email protected] with specific questions.