Northwest STEM Region 2025 Iowa STEM Teacher Award Recipient: Alex Spooner
Spooner, an eighth grade mathematics teacher and STEM Director at Okoboji Middle School, is in his tenth year of teaching at Okoboji Middle School. Spooner says he works to make STEM education engaging, inclusive and relevant by tailoring lessons to students' interests including gaming, art and entrepreneurship.
North Central STEM Region 2025 Iowa STEM Teacher Award Recipient: Tara Gray
Gray, an agriculture science teacher at Marshalltown High School, is in her ninth year of teaching. As a fifth generation farmer still involved in her family farm, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her agriculture lessons. Gray believes in a hands-on learning approach, striving to provide real-life experiences to advance student understanding and make relevant connections to everyday life.
Northeast STEM Region 2025 Iowa STEM Teacher Award Recipient: Dan Kuchera
Kuchera, a science teacher at Clarksville High School, has over 40 years of experience helping students explore various STEM disciplines. From astronomy, meteorology and anatomy to chemistry, physics and more, Kuchera builds projects into lessons to increase their understanding and provide opportunities for creative challenges.
Southwest STEM Region 2025 Iowa STEM Teacher Award Recipient: Dustan Kern
Kern, a STEM teacher at Lewis Central Middle School in Council Bluffs, has been teaching mathematics, science and computer-related courses for 25 years. He prides himself on constantly improving and evolving his teaching to involve the latest technology and community partners to better prepare students for careers and college.
South Central STEM Region 2025 Iowa STEM Teacher Award Recipient: Maddie Kampf
Kampf, a science teacher at Irving Elementary in Indianola, has over 10 years of experience teaching in Iowa classrooms. Kampf began her career in a museum setting, which ignited her passion for inquiry-based education and carries with her as an elementary educator aiming to build a strong STEM foundation for young learners.
Southeast STEM Region 2025 Iowa STEM Teacher Award Recipient: Chuck Tonelli
Tonelli, a science teacher and STEAM Academy Coordinator at Metro Alternative High School in Cedar Rapids, is working on his 20th year with the district. Tonelli involves numerous community partners in a variety of projects and helps students participate in real-world experiences that afford students the opportunity to network and build soft skills.
