STEM Day at the Capitol to be held on Feb. 18

Iowa students highlight the impact of STEM at the 2026 STEM Day at the Capitol

The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council at the Iowa Department of Education will host STEM Day at the Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the Iowa State Capitol. Teacher and student-led exhibits will showcase the impact of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education across the state, and the 2026 Iowa STEM Teacher Awards will be presented.

WHAT: STEM Day at the Capitol

WHO:  Iowa Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer, Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow, Iowa STEM Bureau Chief Justin Lewis, STEM Council Co-Chair and Foundation Analytical Laboratory Owner and Director of Technical Services Diane Young, Data Center Operations Manager at Google Abram Denzlinger and six regional STEM Teacher Award recipients.

• Northwest STEM Region: Alan Bandstra, a sixth-grade math and science teacher at Sioux Center Christian School.
• North Central STEM Region: Anna Brooks, an agriculture teacher at Ames High School.
• Northeast STEM Region: Dylan Shaffer, a science and intro to STEM teacher at Monticello Middle School.
• Southwest STEM Region: Justin Heckman, physics teacher and robotics coach at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs.
• South Central STEM Region: Jared Almandinger, medical and bioscience research instructor, STEM Camp Director and STEM Club Advisor, at Waukee APEX.
• Southeast STEM Region: Pamela Joslyn, a STEM educator at Muscatine Middle School

WHERE: State Capitol Building, 1st Floor Rotunda, Des Moines, Iowa

WHEN: Feb. 18, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Opening remarks at 10 a.m.)

WHY:  STEM Day at the Capitol is an annual event that brings together supporters of quality STEM education at the Iowa Capitol to showcase the work happening around the state.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:  Legislators are invited to visit with exhibitors to learn how state-funded programs are shaping tomorrow’s STEM leaders and connecting learning to careers in high-demand STEM fields to prepare workforce-ready citizens for Iowa.

There will be opportunities for members of the media to interact with STEM exhibitors from across the state and members of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council.

MORE INFORMATION:  Students and educators representing programs (the STEM BEST® Program, STEM Scale-Up Program and Iowa STEM Teacher Externships Program) funded and facilitated through the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council will share exhibits.

The opening remarks will highlight the progress of STEM education in Iowa and its impact on the future workforce. Awards will also be presented to the six regional 2026 Iowa STEM Teacher Award recipients during this time.

STEM Day at the Capitol and the Iowa STEM Teacher Award Program are sponsored by Google.