For the third year in a row, a hand2mind product has been included in an Iowa legislature-backed program that’s proven to increase Iowan students’ achievement in STEM

(IOWA) September 25, 2019 – The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council has chosen hand2mind’s Differentiated Math Centers as one of three exemplary math programs in its annual STEM Scale-Up Program mathematics application. To support superior STEM learning opportunities for Iowa’s youth, the council selects quality programs that reach 100,000 young learners each year.

Differentiated Math Centers include hands-on activities and manipulatives that help K–5 students deepen their understanding of key math concepts. With three levels of differentiated activities for each learning objective, these standards-based centers enable teachers to address a wide range of student needs.

Since its adoption in 2012, the STEM Scale-Up Program has been proven to increase student achievement in math. To be selected, each program went through a rigorous review process at both the national and state level. Criteria included demonstrating an appeal to diverse youth, success in improving academic performance, evidence of integrating STEM concepts, development of school-business-community partnerships, and sustainability beyond STEM Council financial support.

Because of the importance of math, the Iowa legislature has appropriated $300,000 to scale three mathematics education programs to preK-12 students across the state for the 2019-2020 school year. This is the third year in a row that a hand2mind product has been chosen for the program: STEM in Action was selected for both the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school year.

The STEM Scale-Up mathematics application is now open for qualifying K–5 educators to incorporate Differentiated Math Centers into their classrooms. Successful applicants will be required to participate in assessing the effectiveness of their program through surveys and to provide additional evaluation data.

The application process closes October 1, 2019. Implementation of awarded applicants will begin November 1, 2019, and end May 31, 2020.

About hand2mind
With more than 50 years of experience in education, hand2mind provides interactive, hands-on resources for math, science, STEM, and literacy. Our mission is to support teachers, inspire students, engage parents, and champion learning by doing. A family-owned company, hand2mind is based in Vernon Hills, Illinois. For more information, please visit hand2mind.com.

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