Source: Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council
Two teachers from Newton Community School District participated in the 2026 Iowa STEM Teacher Externships Program, which places educators inside state businesses to bring real-world experience back into their classrooms. According to the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, 95 teachers joined the program.
Michelle Delvaux, a science teacher at Newton High School, is completing her six-week externship at the city of Des Moines’ public works forestry division. Her duties include updating inventory in the city’s Treekeeper software, assessing potential planting sites and inspecting trees to evaluate their health.
In addition to those aforementioned duties, the STEM Advisory Council said Delvaux is also working on special projects for the city, including the filming of promotional videos like “Tree of the Month,” developing a self-guided Tree Identification Trail Tour and researching potential grants for the forestry division.
Micaela Scott, a talented and gifted (TAG) teacher at Berg Middle School and Newton High School, is working with Jasper County Conservation. She is working with naturalists to assist with summer programs and help plan and run two summer camps: Little House on the Prairie Camp and Weather Camp.
Scott is also assisting and advertising nature story time activities at the newly opened Dana King Ceretti Environmental Education Center. These events helped bring in children and families to the new nature center, giving them time to explore the new facility, learn about different nature topics and explore outdoors.
The Iowa STEM Teacher Externships Program creates meaningful, twoway partnerships between educators and local workplaces. These collaborations create long-term school-business relationships that strengthen the local talent pipeline and help students understand opportunities available in their community.
The program is supported through state-appropriated funds and investments by Iowa business, industry and community partners.
Host contributions total $150,680 in addition to the STEM Council’s investment.
Iowa Governor’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Advisory Council was established by executive order in 2011. The council was later expanded in 2025 and is now the state’s “edu-nomic” development initiative to invigorate the PK-12 talent pipeline toward STEM careers.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said the group was created to develop ways to improve STEM education and innovation, and economic development.
Reynolds has said “these professionals (in the STEM Advisory Council) come from a broad spectrum of the state’s education, business and civic sectors and will work together to lead the way toward a strong future for our state in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”
PO Box 967 
Newton, IA 50208

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 641-792-3121