This is part one in a two-part series about Clayton Ridge educators who are participating in the Iowa STEM Teacher Externships Program this summer. Through the program, STEM educators work side-by-side with industry employees who help bring the classroom curriculum to life. The overall goal is to transfer knowledge and skills from the host site back to the students of Iowa. Teacher externs work 200 to 240 hours and earn a stipend of up to $5,500 and three graduate credits through the University of Northern Iowa’s Continuing Education program, paid for by the Iowa STEM Teacher Externships Program.
By Audrey Posten
Partnering with the Guttenberg Chamber of Commerce for the Iowa STEM Teacher Externships Program was a natural extension for Nicole DeGidio, who teaches high school English and 6-12 ESL, and is also the 6-12 technology coach at Clayton Ridge.
This spring, DeGidio received a STEM BEST Program Award that focuses on creating work-based and career connected learning opportunities that allow students to develop future-focused, high-demand skills through real-world experiences. STEM BEST allowed for the purchase of a direct-to-film (DTF) printer and an engraver, and students began collaborating with the Guttenberg Chamber of Commerce and local businesses to promote the community.
“A lot of our business owners don’t feel comfortable with social media, especially TikTok and Instagram, and our kids are really good at that. So it was kind of a natural pairing to have them do some of those things,” DeGidio said.
The externship program carried that work into the summer.
DeGidio designed a new chamber logo, and she’s put the printer to use creating banners and signage for community activities.
One noticeable application is the new window films on the welcome center. DeGidio started with the front entrance and has since added photos to each of the front window panes.
“I collected a bunch of pictures to highlight all the special events that happen in Guttenberg, that make Guttenberg special,” she said.
The window films are a two-fold solution, shading the front porch while boosting the appeal of the building. It also aligns with the grant she’s writing for the Upper Mississippi Gaming Corporation to complete renovations on the building front.
DeGidio is happy the new equipment is being used by both the school and chamber.
“I’m designing stuff for our school, but also helping the community, which is exactly what it is supposed to do,” she said.
Along with these efforts, DeGidio created “Eat, Sip and Explore Guttenberg” books containing menus from food and drink establishments in town. The books were distributed to the marina and area campgrounds to draw visitors to these businesses.
She’s also been promoting the Guttenberg Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, improving signage and posting photos and vendor spotlights on social media.
DeGidio assisted the Stars and Stripes Committee with promotion too.
“They were like, ‘We would really like someone promoting everything that’s happening as it’s happening.’ So I did that, documenting everything, taking pictures,” she said.
Another undertaking has been the new “Gather in Guttenberg” podcast. Using Adobe Podcast, which is part of an Amazon Creative Cloud subscription purchased through STEM BEST, DeGidio is interviewing chamber businesses and organizations. Clips are posted to social media and the full podcasts on Spotify and Amazon.
She’s recording multiple episodes now, to post sporadically into the fall, when her students will take over the podcast.
“With the externship, you have to have either a phenomenon based project you can take back to your classroom or project based learning you can take back to your classroom. I have a digital media class and I’ve done a podcasting unit. But they kind of just made up whatever topic they wanted for their podcast,” DeGidio explained. “In the fall, when my digital media class starts, when I get to my podcasting unit, I will now have several examples that I created. The kids will be able to see me doing this, and they can model it after how I did mine, which I think will be really fun.”
DeGidio has valued working with the Guttenberg Chamber of Commerce Board, led by president Beth Sadewasser. They’ve offered direction, while allowing her to work independently.
“Beth and I have worked closely, and Austin Greve is also in here a lot. Mandy Ludovissy has been popping in. We have so many passionate people that want to bring change to Guttenberg and make it a place people want to be. It feels good to be part of that,” DeGidio said.
Although she’s taught at Clayton Ridge going on 15 years, DeGidio lives in Prairie du Chien. She feels being involved with the chamber and community activities has forged new relationships and given her a “sense of ownership of what’s happening in our community. I think that will definitely transfer to our kids too.”
It opens the door to additional school/community collaboration.
“There are so many people that care about what our school is doing and they’re so happy this program is happening. I think it forms a bridge between the school and the community,” she shared. “In the past, I’ve had people say, ‘We knew students could help us, but we didn’t know who to contact to get that help.’ Now that contact is established. Not that I can do everything, but I can go to who I need to at school to see if we can make it happen or talk to kids in organizations.”
DeGidio hopes other teachers and “hosts” will take advantage of the Iowa STEM Teacher Externships Program. While not technically free—as the host contributes toward the teacher’s stipend—she said it’s an affordable way to get five to six weeks of work and collaboration from a skilled, connected individual.
“A lot of people don’t realize all the skills teachers have,” DeGidio remarked. “They can find out what it’s like [in the industry] and are able to go back to the classroom and say, ‘OK, these are the skills they need. These are some of the jobs.’ It shows our kids you don’t have to move away to get a good career.”
As she nears the end of her externship, DeGidio noted she “can’t say enough good things. Now that I’m getting close to the end, it was worth it.”
