Three Siouxland teachers participate in summer externship program

The program provided teachers the opportunity to work at local STEM businesses, nonprofits, government services and other workplaces to gain  experience that can be applied in the classroom, according to a Governor’s STEM Advisory Council news release.

Imelda Garcia, an English as a second language teacher at Irving Dual Language Elementary School; Sara Jerome, a first-grade teacher at Siouxland Christian School; and Amanda Wilmesherr, a math teacher at Bishop Heelan Catholic High School participated in the program locally.

Wilmesherr worked at the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. She met with various business owners and community members who are interested in growing the business community and promoting quality of life in Sioux City. Her main focus was working with Chamber employees on promoting a quality-of-life video.

"They want to build Siouxland pride," she said.

Wilmesherr was looking to make connections in the community and learn about the business world. She then wanted to integrate what she learned into the classroom.

The Siouxland Chamber of Commerce became part of the program to become a leader and promote the program to other businesses in the area, Chris McGowan said, adding, "I think this is a very innovative program."

Jerome worked at Sac County Conservation. She assisted with camps for preschool through fifth-grade students by helping develop activities and crafts for student learning and assisting with programs at surrounding libraries, according to the news release. As part of her externship project, she also worked on how to reduce habitat loss due to human-related causes and identify potential solutions.

Garcia worked at the Center for Neurosciences, Orthopaedics, & Spine (CNOS). While at CNOS, she learned about the different medical services they provide to patients, according to the news release. She also helped to translate all of the clinic's forms from English into Spanish.

Since the program’s launch in 2009, the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council has organized more than 800 externship experiences throughout the state. This year there were 82 teachers selected for the program and placed at 69 workplaces throughout the state.

“That tells Iowans that employers recognize the importance of cultivating their future workforces through partnerships with education. And it’s a clear signal that teachers of Iowa are striving to keep their skills and knowledge current for lively classroom experiences linked to exciting local career options,” said Jeff Weld, executive director of the STEM Council.

“By forging matches in the local community, school-business partnerships can develop and last through the following school year and beyond. This ultimately helps make students more aware of the skills needed to fill the jobs right where they live,” according to the news release.