STEM it Up2

November, 2024

Steve Daum, Director of Superflor Technologies FloraLife, participated as an industry host for the STEM it Up2: Immersive Professional Development for Agriscience Teachers to Explore the Floriculture Industry. Funded by the USDA, in July of 2024, STEM it Up2 was established and provided 16 agriscience teachers from around the nation with a 10-day immersive experience throughout three states to meet green industry representatives and learn about how products such as cut flowers and ornamental plants are grown, harvested, processed, conditioned, and shipped through the floral distribution channel.

The STEM it Up (SIU) program began in 2019 with support from the American Floral Endowment and is committed to providing high-quality professional development for agriscience teachers to support the need to increase awareness of careers in the floriculture industry. School-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs provide a rich platform to build interest in plant science for secondary students to advance to post-secondary education and enter careers in the green industry.

SIU aims to provide agriscience teachers nationwide with the knowledge, technical skills, and resources to confidently teach numerous aspects of floriculture in their secondary SBAE curricula. We educate and excite teachers about the career possibilities in the floriculture industry. To succeed, agriscience teachers need resources and support from universities and industry partners to help highlight Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) concepts associated with the green industry for their students to experience and become aware of a wide array of career opportunities. STEM It Up 2