Idaho Students Gain Hands-On STEM Pathways
Families in East Idaho can now look to local schools for engineering and cybersecurity courses through the new partnership.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Secondary Education
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College of Eastern Idaho announced that its BEA Applied STEM Institute has partnered with Project Lead The Way to bring hands-on engineering, manufacturing, and cybersecurity courses to Idaho students. The partnership will be introduced at a Regional STEM Transformation Showcase on Wednesday, November 18, at the institute in Idaho Falls.
Why it matters
For families in Idaho Falls and across East Idaho, the partnership aims to give students career-connected coursework in high-demand technical fields without requiring a move to a larger campus. Districts that opt in receive funding, professional development, and implementation support, which can ease the cost of launching new programs.
The partnership covers engineering, advanced manufacturing, and cybersecurity pathways for PreK-12 students. The Regional STEM Transformation Showcase runs in two sessions on November 18 at 1600 S. 25th E. in Idaho Falls.
The players
College of Eastern Idaho (CEI)
A public community college serving East Idaho, which runs the BEA Applied STEM Institute and is leading this partnership.
Project Lead The Way
A national nonprofit that provides PreK-12 STEM curriculum in engineering, biomedical science, and computer science used by schools across the country.
Mary Stephenson
Associate vice president of K-14 and rural initiatives at the College of Eastern Idaho, overseeing the college's K-14 education programs.
David Dimmett
Chief executive officer of Project Lead The Way, which develops the hands-on STEM curriculum at the center of this partnership.
The details
The BEA Applied STEM Institute delivers the partnership by pairing with Project Lead The Way, which supplies its hands-on curriculum for students from preschool through 12th grade. Districts that choose to participate receive funding, professional development for teachers, and implementation support. The November 18 showcase will demonstrate PLTW courses in engineering, advanced manufacturing, and cybersecurity, and include welcomes and networking sessions. A regional vision presentation and dinner runs from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Timeline
November 18, 2026: Regional STEM Transformation Showcase at the BEA Applied STEM Institute, with sessions from 1 to 4 p.m. and 5:30 to 8 p.m.
The Home Front
Idaho families weighing where to put children into career-track coursework now have a locally hosted option through a community college partnership. The move reflects a broader push to connect secondary schooling with the engineering and manufacturing jobs that employers in the region are seeking.
If your child attends a school in East Idaho, ask the district whether it plans to participate in the Project Lead The Way program. Families interested in the November 18 showcase can register through the CEI STEM events page before attending.
The takeaway
Hands-on STEM pathways in engineering, manufacturing, and cybersecurity are becoming available to more East Idaho students through local partnership. Check with your child's school district about participation and keep the November 18 showcase on your calendar.
Further reading
For more on how schools are shaping学习 pathways, explore Secondary Education coverage from across the region.
More information
Register for the showcase on the CEI STEM events registration page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Post Register.
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