The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council at the Department of Education is proud to announce that Tara Gray, an agriculture science teacher at Marshalltown High School, has been named as a recipient of the 2025 Iowa STEM Teacher Award, sponsored by Google. The award is given to six teachers each year who go above and beyond to inspire student interest in and awareness of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Now in its 11th year, the Iowa STEM Teacher Award is presented annually to one full-time, licensed PK-12 teacher in each of the six STEM regions in Iowa. The award honors teachers making a difference in the lives of students across the state by providing excellent curriculum, encouraging lifelong learning and inspiring a passion for STEM beyond the classroom and into the future. Each awardee receives a monetary gift for their classroom and second for personal use.
Nominated for the award by her colleague, Gray was recognized for growing the agricultural program at Marshalltown from nothing into a thriving program today. As a fifth-generation farmer still involved in her family farm, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her agriculture lessons. She believes in a hands-on learning approach, striving to provide real-life experiences to advance student understanding and make relevant connections to everyday life.
This includes taking her students to her family farm to witness first-hand what farmers do and learn more about farming operations. She has built partnerships with multiple agricultural companies to expose her students to the wide array of career options. She established a critical collaboration with Ellsworth Community College to provide dual-credit classes that particularly benefit underprivileged and low-income students who lack access or funding to earn college credits while in high school.
Her colleague also shared that she has a strong philosophy that all students can learn. Gray said that one of the most rewarding things about being a STEM teacher is watching a student that believes they are unable to excel at school convert their belief into knowing that they do have the intelligence and skills to excel in the STEM field.
As a recipient of the 2025 Iowa STEM Teacher Award, sponsored by Google, Gray will receive $1,500 to use for her classroom and $1,500 for personal use. She, along with her fellow recipients, were honored on Monday morning in a recognition ceremony during STEM Day at the Capitol at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.