Will the MacArthur Foundation someday bestow a “genius” grant for landscape architecture on one of Iowa’s current K-12 students? For children in Iowa, that dream just got a little easier to realize. On Aug. 16, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed Executive Order 14, which promotes and expands access to STEM education for all K-12 students in the state.

 

“ASLA Iowa is excited to see the newly signed Executive Order 14 supporting the continued growth and expansion of opportunities in STEM careers, including landscape architecture,” said ASLA Iowa Chapter President Garret Munch. “As stewards of the natural and built environment, landscape architects are educated in and routinely apply the physical and natural sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics to their work. With this new Order, Iowa’s K-12 students will have greater access to the educational resources necessary to prepare them to tackle some of our planet’s greatest challenges—as landscape architects.”

 

As a STEM-recognized profession, landscape architects draw on math, science, technology, engineering, and more in their work. With this new order, Iowa’s K-12 students will have greater access to the educational resources to prepare them to pursue bachelor's and master's degrees in landscape architecture and other STEM careers.

 

“ASLA believes in empowering our current members and future generations of landscape architects to design a safer, healthier, more sustainable and accessible world," added ASLA CEO Torey Carter-Conneen, Hon. ASLA. “With Order 14, elementary, middle, and high school students in Iowa will have better access to educational opportunities to prepare them for careers as licensed landscape architects.” 

 

Under Order 14, the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, established in 2011, will advise the governor on ways to connect STEM education to the workplace and include appointees from STEM-related professions.

 

Nationally, ASLA offers several programs to support K-12 career discovery. Find ASLA’s full set of tools for pre-K-12 teachers here.