Registration is now open for the 2026 Iowa STEM Summit, hosted by the Governor's STEM Advisory Council at the Iowa Department of Education. The event will be held on Friday, Nov. 6, at the Iowa Events Center, Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center, in Des Moines.
This year’s theme, “Where Bold Ideas Take Flight,” will be showcased through a full day of engaging keynote speakers, interactive breakout sessions and networking opportunities. Summit attendees will share best practices and hear from individuals creating new opportunities for innovation, exploration and career pathways for the next generation and leaders who are growing Iowa’s aerospace sector.
The Iowa STEM Summit features more than 40 breakout sessions that offer hands-on classroom strategies, career-connected learning opportunities, emerging technologies, aerospace exploration, examples of successful partnerships and other STEM initiatives—giving attendees plenty of ideas to take back to their communities!
“What makes the Iowa STEM Summit truly special is the culture we’ve been able to create,” said Justin Lewis, bureau chief for Iowa STEM at the Department. “It is a space where leaders in education, business and industry, nonprofits and government can come together as partners with a shared goal of exchanging ideas, building meaningful connections and finding new ways to support the work happening in Iowa schools. Ultimately, we want our guests to leave feeling inspired with new ideas, excited to put what they learned into action and empowered to turn conversations into partnerships that extend STEM opportunities to Iowa students well beyond the summit.”
New this year, students with select STEM BEST® Program models will be onsite creating fun giveaways at the Summit Swag Station. STEM BEST® Program models will also design and produce the centerpieces in the Grand Ballroom, demonstrating an example of the career-connected learning offered to Iowa students through the program. Another new feature will be a student poster walk, organized in part by the Iowa STEM Youth Ambassador Group, that highlights the innovative research, projects and ideas of Iowa high school students.
The event is open to the public, and admission is free, thanks to a generous investment by Microsoft. Advanced registration is required to ensure meals, materials and seating are ready for all attendees. The deadline for registration is Thursday, Oct. 29 at 4:59 p.m. Anyone who is interested in registering for the event will need to sign up or have an existing SCHED account.
Visit the Iowa STEM summit event page to learn more information, view session details and register. Contact the Iowa STEM team at [email protected] with specific questions.