Keokuk High School has been announced as one of the 30 school districts in Iowa to receive the 2026-27 STEM BEST® (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers) Program award that included a grant from the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council at the Department of Education. KHS plans to expand the fairly new Agriculture program and add Ag Mechanics to meet a community need and match what the students have asked for in program updates at KHS.
“By adding Ag Mechanics to our existing Agriculture program, we will expand hands-on learning opportunities and prepare students with the technical skills that local employers are seeking,” Jessica Koehler, KHS Work-Based Learning coordinator and CTE program director, said.
The Ag Mechanic program will be designed to provide students with hands-on, technical training in machinery operation, welding, small engine repair, equipment maintenance and precision agriculture technologies. It will address a critical workforce need that businesses in the Keokuk community have also stressed and will prepare students for postsecondary education or industry certifications and supports the development of a diverse, skilled and workplace-ready agricultural workforce.
“This grant is a game changer for our students,” Brady Martin, KHS Agriculture director and FFA advisor, said. “It allows us to offer real-world, hands-on learning that directly connects classroom instruction to the skills employers expect and need.”
As a returning grant for KHS, the program will also continue to integrate soft skills such as teamwork, problem-solving and workplace communication, ensuring students are well-rounded and career-ready. KHS continues to expand programming in the Career and Technical Education (CTE), including in Work-Based Learning and the previous STEM BEST program award focused on soft skills development to enhance workplace readiness and interview, teamwork and communication skills development, all while working closely with community partners. In addition to these valuable experiences that worked to prepare students for the workplace, a need for an Agriculture and Ag Mechanics program was identified in the process, specifically from community businesses and through our Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA). Interest in this area was further identified through school-wide surveys of students, where they shared a strong desire to have agricultural coursework at KHS. From this interest, in Fall 2025 the Agriculture program, which is part of CTE at KHS, and the first Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter were created and are very popular with students.
“Our students will graduate better prepared for the workforce, technical training programs, or continued education,” Martin added.
KHS Principal Nathan Harrison encouraged Martin and Koehler to apply for the program and Keokuk Community School District Superintendent Dr. Kathy Dinger is supportive and excited about the expansion of the Agriculture program and how this will continue to strengthen the partnerships with the local agricultural community. As required by the STEM BEST® program, the Keokuk Community School District will provide matching funds up to $25,000, which can be offset by donations. To be considered for a STEM BEST® Program award, school districts had to submit a comprehensive proposal that incorporated rigorous and relevant STEM curriculum, included valuable partnerships between the district and community businesses or organizations, aligns with STEM goals, addresses sustainability of the model program and evaluates the program’s effectiveness. The Ag Mechanics program will be inclusive and accessible to all students, specifically those with disabilities and women, specifically groups historically underrepresented in Ag Mechanics careers, according to the program. The STEM BEST® Program brings schools and businesses together to provide students with real workplace experiences, introduce businesses and career opportunities in Iowa and gain career-ready skills.
The STEM BEST® Program was developed to encourage teachers and industry professionals to work side-by-side to create a work-based learning model that incorporated STEM subjects like mathematics and science with experiential learning opportunities to emphasize future-focused skills for the workplace. The STEM Council’s investment of up to $50,000 for professional and financial support can be used for curriculum development and coordination, educator training and development in workplace-classroom integration and preparing work-based learning environments.
There were 30 school districts from six regions in the state, from the Southeast Iowa STEM Region the awardees were:
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College Comm School District – returning
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Iowa City Comm School District – returning
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Keokuk Comm School District – returning
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Lighthouse Schools – new
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Mediapolis Comm School District – new
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New London Comm School District – returning
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Sigourney Comm School District – new
Additional awardees included:
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North Central Iowa STEM Region
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Lake Mills Comm School District – new
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St Ansgar Comm School District – new
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Mason City Comm School District – returning
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South Hamilton Comm School District – returning
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Northeast Iowa STEM Region
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Clayton Ridge Comm School District – new
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Denver Comm School District – new
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Monticello Comm School District – new
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Sumner-Fredericksburg Comm School District – new
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Cedar Falls Comm School District – returning
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Oelwein Comm School District – returning
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Waterloo Comm School District – returning
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Northwest Iowa STEM Region
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Harris-Lake Park Comm School District – new
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Pocahontas Area Comm School District – new
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MMCRU (Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn-
Remsen-Union) Comm School District – returning -
Storm Lake Comm School District – returning
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South Central Iowa STEM Region
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Clarke Comm School District – new
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Des Moines Independent Comm School District – returning
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Newton Comm School District – returning
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North Polk Comm School District – returning
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Pella Comm School District – returning
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Southwest Iowa STEM Region
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Diagonal Comm School District – new
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Mount Ayr Comm School District – new
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Harlan Community High School – returning
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For more information on the STEM BEST® Program, go to educate.iowa.gov/STEM/BEST.
