Oakland – The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council at the Department of Education announced the Riverside Community School District as one of the 29 school districts to receive the 2025-26 STEM BEST® (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers) Program award. The STEM BEST® Program brings schools and businesses together to provide students with real workplace experiences, introduce businesses and career opportunities in Iowa and gain career-ready skills.
The STEM BEST® Program encourages teachers and industry professionals to work side-by-side to develop a work-based learning model that incorporates STEM subjects like mathematics and science with experiential learning opportunities to emphasize future focused skills for the workplace. The STEM Council’s investment of up to $40,000 for professional and financial support can be used for curriculum development and coordination, educator training and development in workplace-classroom integration and preparing work-based learning environments.
The proposed Greenhouse Project addresses the critical need for hands-on, career-oriented STEM education that prepares students for the growing demands of the agricultural, environmental, and sustainability sectors. As agriculture remains a cornerstone of Iowa’s economy, the program will provide students with practical experience in sustainable practices, bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world applications. The greenhouse serves as an innovative platform to engage students in interdisciplinary learning: combining science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with business, economics, and environmental stewardship. By fostering industry partnerships, the program will align education with workforce needs, ensuring students are equipped with skills relevant to local and global challenges. The partners who are committed to supporting this program include but are not limited to Agrivision, C&J Supply, Total Farm Solutions, and ISU extension.
Quote from Annie Brooke, Riverside Ag Teacher and FFA Sponsor, “STEM education is important because it helps students gain skills that are needed in high-demand jobs where science, math, and problem-solving are essential. It prepares students for these careers and fosters innovation, critical thinking, hard work, and flexibility. This grant will help us build our greenhouse, where students will learn the skills listed above but also learn about sustainability, chemical application, agricultural technology, entrepreneurship, and teamwork skills. A greenhouse will push students out of the typical classroom as this facility will serve as an additional learning area that we hope to share with the whole school and community.”
The 2025-26 STEM BEST® Program awardees are:
North Central STEM Region
Ames High School, returning
CAL Elementary School, returning
Forest City Community Schools, new
Gilbert High School, new
Mason City High School, new
Osage High School, returning
Roland-Story High School, new
South Hamilton Elementary School, new
Northeast STEM Region
Cascade Jr./Sr. High School, new
Central Jr./Sr. High School, returning
MFL MarMac High School, returning
Midland Middle/High School, new
Northwest STEM Region
Laurens-Marathon Elementary School, new
Sibley-Ocheyedan High School, new
Storm Lake High School, returning
South Central STEM Region
Centerville High School, new
Central Campus, returning
Seymour High School, new
Urbandale High School, new
Walnut Creek Campus, returning
Southeast STEM Region
Durant High School, new
Iowa BIG, returning
Metro High School, returning
Prairie High School, returning
Xavier High School, new
Southwest STEM Region
Harlan Community High School, returning
Logan-Magnolia Jr./Sr. High School, returning
Nodaway Valley Elementary School, new
Riverside Community High School, returning
To be considered for a STEM BEST® Program award, applicants were required to submit a comprehensive proposal that incorporates rigorous and relevant STEM curriculum, includes valuable partnerships with community businesses or organizations, aligns with STEM goals, addresses sustainability of the model program and evaluates the program’s effectiveness.
For more information on the STEM BEST® Program, please visit educate.iowa.gov/STEM/BEST
About the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council: Established in July 2011 via Governor’s Executive Order, the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council is a public-private partnership of educators, companies and Iowa students and families addressing policies and programs designed to improve Iowa’s educational system focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The STEM Council works to engage and prepare students for a career-ready workforce path, regain our state’s historic leadership position in education and provide a vital competitive economic advantage now, and for the future, to ensure that every Iowa student has access to world-class STEM education opportunities. The 62-member STEM Council is co-chaired by Governor Kim Reynolds and Foundation Analytical Laboratory Owner and Director of Technical Services Diane Young. For more information, visit educate.iowa.gov/STEM.