(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – Guthrie County Youth “Investigated STEM” at STEM Fest 2023! The event was held April 1, 2023, at the ACGC High School in Guthrie Center, hosted by Guthrie County ISU Extension and the Southwest Iowa STEM Region housed at Southwestern Community College. At STEM Fest there were several educational stations held inside the school, as well as some educational stations outside. (See photos submitted from the event, below – click on an image to enlarge)

Krista Downing, Program Coordinator said hands-on activities included gear ratios on a conveyor belt, creating cover crop monsters, semi-truck driving simulator, ethanol’s pH changing demonstration and much more. Youth Coordinator, Laura Larson, said “STEM fest 2023 was a huge success. We had a great turnout from the community and so many youth got to take part in some hands-on learning activities. They were also introduced to some potential career paths they could take down the road. It was a great morning!”

Participants at STEM Fest included youth of all ages with their family’s attendance was around 300 participants total. There was participation from youth in multiple school districts in the county as well as some home-schooled youth, and multiple registrations from outside of Guthrie County! Door prize winners for teachers with the most youth at STEM Fest were from Guthrie Center Elementary – Gruber and Renslow. Youth door prize winners from around the county were Hunter Hays, Blythe Michelsen, Donovan Wetzel, Kroy Redfern, Blaine Udelhoven, Hazel Comly, Reed Leo, Hope Recker, Waylon Sudbrock and Charolette Owens.

Businesses and organizations that volunteered their time to host booths included: Guthrie County Master Gardeners; Blank Park Zoo; Panorama FFA; Iowa Motor Truck Association; Iowa PBS; New Opportunities Inc.; Iowa Corn Growers – Guthrie, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE); Whiterock Conservancy; Guthrie County REC; Guthrie County Farm Bureau; MidAmerican Energy; POET, Coon Rapids Plant; Guthrie County State Bank; Mary Barnett Library; Iowa DNR; Guthrie County ISU Extension; Rose Acres; Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office; Guthrie County Hospital and Clinics, and Guthrie County EMA.

Guthrie County ISU Extension officials say “We would like to extend an enormous thank you to all who helped make this event possible. Thank you to our businesses that volunteered time to host a booth, thank you to the youth and families that came out and participated, thank you to ACGC Schools for hosting the event, and thank you to the committee for all the background work they put into the event. Events like this are not possible without the support of the community.”