Five Quad Cities area teachers are among 86 educators across Iowa who participated in the 2025 Iowa STEM Teacher Externships Program this summer.
The program offers teachers hands-on, STEM-related work experiences at various local workplaces to enrich their classroom instruction with real-world applications. Since its 2009 launch, the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council at the Iowa Department of Education has facilitated more than 1,000 teacher externships statewide.
Lindsey Gosse, a math teacher at North Scott High School in Eldridge, worked at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District. CREDIT IOWA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
This year’s local participants are:
- Bradley Goedken, a math teacher at Davenport Assumption High School, worked at HNI Corporation in Muscatine, Iowa.
- Lindsey Gosse, a math teacher at North Scott High School in Eldridge, worked at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- Brian Price, a business teacher at Davenport North High School, worked at Sears Seating, a manufacturer in west Davenport.
- Joseph Shoemaker, an industrial technology teacher at Bettendorf High School, worked at LeClaire Manufacturing in Bettendorf.
- Brayden Zaruba, an industrial technology/engineering teacher at Muscatine High School, worked at LMT Defense in Eldridge.
STEM Teacher Externships are full-time, six-week temporary summer positions in local businesses and agencies for licensed, secondary teachers of mathematics, science and/or technology.
Stipends, college credits
STEM Teachers earn a stipend of up to $5,000 (including two paid professional development days), as well as three graduate credits through the University of Northern Iowa’s Continuing Education program, which is paid for through the program.
The externships program benefits both participating teachers and local workplace hosts. Educators gain practical workplace experience, boosting their understanding of the job skills and knowledge needed for successful careers and enhancing their classroom instruction with career-connected learning.
Company hosts benefit from the expertise of talented and industrious teachers, who can contribute significantly to their projects. These partnerships foster lasting school-business relationships that enhance the community’s workforce, making students more aware of local job opportunities and the skills needed to succeed.
This year’s program was supported through state-appropriated funds and investments by Iowa business, industry and community partners, and a grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority Grant.
This year’s contributions from workplace hosts totaled about $158,000 in addition to the STEM Council’s investment.
