This month, we turn our STEM spotlight on the Iowa Children's Museum (ICM), Iowa’s longest-running children’s museum. Housed in Coralville, the 28,000-square-foot ICM celebrates STEM in many ways throughout the year, from welcoming more than 13,000 guests with hands-on exhibits to offering outreach programs throughout the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City corridor and more.

The ICM aims to "nurture kids’ natural curiosity early, helping them build confidence and excitement about STEM before limiting beliefs about their abilities have a chance to take hold." The ICM collaborates with area schools and fellow nonprofits to carry out an array of enrichment programming. By traveling to offsite locations, the ICM’s education team works consistently to lower geographic and socioeconomic barriers and reach Iowans who might not otherwise be exposed to active learning STEM opportunities.

Among the ICM's ongoing STEM programs is the STEM Family Free Night, sponsored by Collins Aerospace, featuring free admission to guests on the last Friday of every month, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Each of these events highlights a specific STEM challenge to further ignite children's curiosity around the subject matter.

For those who enjoy problem-solving, you can also check out a celebration coming up on February 16 called Engineers Day, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The ICM is currently seeking volunteers for this event. If you are interested, please contact Rebekah Domayer at rdomayer@theicm.org.

Those who can't make it to the museum can check out the ICM throughout the corridor, where the museum extends STEM opportunities through events such as Community STEM Day, hosted in July by the Southeast Iowa STEM Region and Collins Aerospace, and events at local libraries and other community festivals.

Learn more about the Iowa Children's Museum programs and opportunities here.