Stephanie Prussing, right, educational technology teacher at Denison Elementary School, receives a ceremonial check for $3,000 presented by Mary Trent, the Northwest Regional manager for the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council. Prussing received the monetary award for receiving an Iowa STEM Teacher Award. Half of the money will go toward Prussing’s classroom and half can go to her personal use. Submitted Photo

The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council at the Iowa Department of Education announced that Stephanie Prussing, educational technology instructor at Denison Elementary School (DES) has been named as a recipient of the 2024 Iowa STEM Teacher Award, sponsored by Kemin Industries.

The award is given to six educators each year who go above and beyond to inspire student interest in and awareness of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Now in its 10th year, the award is given annually to one full-time, licensed preK-12 teacher from each of the six STEM regions in Iowa. Each recipient is honored for their efforts to foster enthusiasm and inspire a passion for STEM that goes beyond the classroom and helps prepare students for future high-demand careers.

Prussing was recognized for her tireless efforts to promote computer science and technology instruction through her specials classes, Engineering Cohort, Computer Science Week, Hour of Code Celebration, STEM Night, and Tech Club.

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She also participated in the Computer Science is Elementary Mentorship Program where she became a resource for schools in Iowa looking for ideas on how to implement computer science lessons in their own school. This experience led to Denison Elementary School hosting an AEA learning lab and inviting teachers from surrounding schools to visit for an afternoon of learning about computer science and STEM.

As a recipient of the 2024 Iowa STEM Teacher Award, Prussing will receive $1,500 to use for her classroom and $1,500 for personal use.

Established in July 2011, the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council leverages public-private partnerships of educators, companies and Iowa students and families to ensure that every Iowa student has access to world-class STEM education opportunities. The Council’s work supports strong college and career pathways for students and growth for state and local economies.

Kemin Industries is a global ingredient manufacturer that strives to sustainably transform the quality of life every day for 80 percent of the world with its products and services. The company supplies over 500 specialty ingredients for human and animal health and nutrition, pet food, aquaculture, nutraceutical, food technologies, crop technologies, textile, biofuel and animal vaccine industries.

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