Heather Anderson Receives I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award

AndersonSTEMTeacher

Heather Anderson was presented the check from Kemin Industries, Lauren Burt and SC Regional STEM Manager, Sarah Derry. Excited students Alex Schulz, Mack Heitland and Haley Rosic supported their teacher.

On January 25, Heather Anderson was surprised when Lauren Burt, manager at Kemin Industries, Sarah Derry, regional STEM manager and some of her students presented her with the I.O.W.A. Stem Teacher Award. Anderson is a second-grade teacher at Grant Ragan Elementary School.

The I.O.W.A Stem Teacher Award is given to kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers to honor their dedication to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. I.O.W.A. stands for innovative, outstanding, worldly and academic.

Anderson is committed to making science in her classroom hands-on. Students are currently working in collaborative groups on mazes constructed from materials such as cardboard boxes, tape and pipe cleaners. Anderson described her students as engineers who collaborate, discover and investigate.

STEM recipients are nominated by teachers, parents or faculty. Anderson was nominated by a student’s parent and received a total of $3,000, which will be used to help advance her classroom. Anderson is not sure what she wants to do with the money, but knows she wants something that will be hands-on and sustainable in her classroom.“I enjoy working with the kids each day, letting them be problem solvers, because they are really going to be the ones out in the world that have to solve the problems of tomorrow,” Anderson said. “I try to give them a little boost, and then they take it from there, and they go to places that I can’t even imagine sometimes.”

“I am very honored to win this award. Science is my passion and this is something that I will cherish,” Anderson said.

Anderson was one of only six teachers to receive this prestigious award sponsored by Kemin Industries in Des Moines, IA.

 

 

Heather Anderson was presented the check from Kemin Industries, Lauren Burt and SC Regional STEM Manager, Sarah Derry. Excited students