STEM event hosted by UI Health Care attracts Iowa middle schoolers

Last weekend’s Kids Go STEM event on the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine campus attracted 138 students from 21 Iowa counties. Since 2012, UI Health Care STEM education programs have engaged nearly 200,000 students, including many from rural or underrepresented groups in Iowa.

Kids Go STEM, a free program that aims to spark middle schoolers’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and math, gives kids the chance to explore hands-on activities with real scientists and health care professionals.

Fun, interactive sessions on chemistry, physics, neuroscience, and orthopedics — just to name a few — helped students see what day-to-day life in these careers might look like, and where their own strengths and interests could lead them in the future.

Nearly 50 University of Iowa students and faculty from a variety of colleges volunteered their time to host 15 breakout sessions.

“This program was designed for students in middle school, a pivotal stage when they begin to narrow down their future interests and can guide their selection of high school courses,” says Emily Hagedorn, administrator of STEM education programming. "We’ve seen thousands of kids come through who didn’t have health care role models at home, and this gives them that first spark.”