(Left-to-right): Deb Frazee, SW IA Regional STEM Manager; Shelly Miller; Stacy Uhl, w/Kemin Industries. (Ric Hanson/photos)

A Business Education Instructor for the CAM School District was presented today (Monday) with a 2020 I.O.W.A STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Teacher Award for the Southwest region, sponsored by Kemin Industries. The award was presented to Shelly Miller in a surprise ceremony at the CAM High School.  She is one of only six teachers across the state to receive the award this year. As part of the award, Shelly Miller received $1,500 to use in her classroom, and $1,500 for personal use.

Deb Frazee, Southwest Iowa Regional STEM Manager presented Mrs. Miller with a Tiara, as part of the big surprise.

In 2014, the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council (established in 2011 by Executive Order) created the I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award in partnership with Kemin Industries. Kemin’s Stacy Uhl said the the award celebrates STEM teachers who are Innovative in their methods, Outstanding in their passion for education, Worldly in how they teach their students STEM is all around them, and Academic in engaging students both in and out of the classroom. Each of the six regional award winners will be honored in a special ceremony with Governor Kim Reynold held during STEM Day at the State Capital in Des Moines, on Feb. 19th.

Mrs. Miller told KJAN the award and ceremony took her by “pleasant surprise.” She said she feels completely humbled by the honor and that “A lot of other people would have been very deserving as well.” She has 30 students in her Technology program, which began last year.  The program size more than doubled, requiring a classroom that was bigger, too.

Mrs. Miller said their students are very active in numerous projects, both current and those that are in the planning stages. She said also, that they just received an additional $10,000 grant that will be used to upgrade the drone program, purchasing more computers and video editing software, and much more. Miller has been teaching for the past 10-years. She says her students are thriving in the program and in some case, teaching her new things.

Most of the Miller family was on hand for the special event.

The I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award was created to honor the hard work Iowa teachers do to help inspire student interest in and awareness of science, technology, engineering and math. It celebrates STEM teachers who go above and beyond to give their students a quality STEM education. And in addition to helping students learn to love what they do, these teachers are also preparing their students for some of the most in-demand jobs in Iowa.