Iowa Work-Based Learning Newsletter
 Contact: Kelli Diemer, Iowa Dept. of Education Work-Based Learning Consultant, kelli.diemer@iowa.gov or 515-281-3615
Work-Based Learning comes in many different forms (internships, job shadows, tours, etc.). The Iowa Department of Education is working closely with other state agencies and private entities to develop guidance for school districts to design quality experiences for students.
Work-Based Learning Guidance: Work-based learning experiences (internships, co-op, etc.) must be staffed by a properly licensed teacher. For programs that involve placing students in a variety of experiences, an MOC endorsement is required of the teacher. If students are placed in a single curriculum area only (business experiences, agriculture experiences, etc.), the CTE teacher endorsed in that curriculum area is required.
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In this issue...
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The Department of Education is collaborating with the Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services Agency in rolling out a Federal grant through the statewide Intermediary Network. This grant will focus efforts on bringing work-based learning experiences to students with IEPs or under 504 plans. Many of the Intermediary regions are in the process of hiring staff for this dedicated position. This grant was written with identified school districts that were not already being served through other services. Contact your regional Intermediary for more information. Regional Intermediary List.
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Contact: Mindi Heitland, President, mheitland@waukeeschools.org or 515-987-5163 x2402
The Iowa Work-Based Learning Coordinators executive board has been working hard this month to plan our upcoming spring conference. Save the date for the Fifth Annual Iowa Work-Based Learning Conference on April 4 & 5, 2017, at the new Waukee Innovation and Learning Center in Waukee, Iowa. This is Iowa's premiere conference on how to create and support collaborative work-based learning programs, and we want your help in planning it. A link to the pre-conference survey is below which will give you the opportunity to share your interests for topic sessions which will help our planning team customize the best conference for you. IWBL Pre-conference survey link.
We are also in the process of creating a new Iowa Work-Based Learning Coordinators website to be released in early January. This will include information to keep you updated on current topics and trends as well as conference registration and work-based learning resources.
Thank you to all who had students submit entries to our logo contest! We received an overwhelming response and will be announcing the winners in December.
Iowa Work-Based Learning Coordinators Exec Board - (L-R) Kristen Bandy (Oskaloosa/Eddyville-Blakesburg-Freemont), Michelle Hill (Waukee APEX), Mindi Heitland (Waukee) and Tyler Rodgers (Mt. Pleasant)
Contact: Michelle Hill, Director of Waukee APEX, Vice President of IWBL Coordinators, mhill@waukeeschools.org or 515-987-5163 x2330
Fifth Annual Iowa Work-Based Learning Conference
April 4 and 5, 2017
Waukee Innovation and Learning Center
To help design a conference that meets your needs, please fill out the Pre-Conference Survey.
Featured High School Work-Based Learning Programs
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Contact: Vonna Jobe, MOC Coordinator, Winterset High School, vjobe@winterset.k12.ia.us or 515-462-3320
Winterset High School has an MOC program. Our community supports around 28 students per year. These students meet daily for a 40-minute class that supports their work year. Our topics of discussion include orientation to the world of work, workplace safety, human relations and communication skills, personal income tax, financial planning, and job seeking skills.
The students in our MOC program are employed for the whole school year. They attend school half the day and work an average of 15 hours per week. I have had students employed as nurses aids, retail, child care assistants, office assistants, vet assistants, to name a few. The program has had students successfully pass accreditation tests that would enable them to be real estate agents, EMTs, and pharmacy techs.
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We are very fortunate to have a great community that supports this program and to be close enough to Des Moines to have students employed there as well. My advice is to work very hard to get the right student into the right job. |
Contact: Kristen Bandy, IWBL Secretary, Oskaloosa High School and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont High School. bandyk@oskycsd.org or 641-673-3407
Work Based Learning is a student’s chance to discover things they can't learn in a classroom. To get inside information about a career they are interested in, or simply get a taste of what it's really like on the job. It refers to a variety of activities that introduce young people to working professionals and help those young people understand jobs, careers, and the skills that are essential in today’s workforce. It includes tours, service learning, job shadowing, mentoring, paid or unpaid internships and apprenticeships through career awareness, career exploration and/or career preparation.
Part of a quality WBL program, is helping the students make a connection between workplace success and actual classroom content they have learned. Connecting work-based learning to the classroom requires close coordination between the employer/supervisor and the teacher or school before, during, and even after the work-based learning event. State guidelines suggest related instruction to include program development, delivery and evaluation, related class instruction, on-the-job instruction and coordination, and lots of community and public relations. It also suggests regular coordination visits to training stations and site sponsors by a properly licensed and endorsed educator.
Statewide Intermediary Network News
The Intermediary Network prepares students for the workforce by connecting business and education by offering relevant, work-based learning activities to students and teachers. The Statewide Intermediary Network is comprised of fifteen regional work-based learning Intermediary networks that are defined as community college regions. The Intermediary regional contacts do not take the place of an educator, their role is to be a resource for setting up tours, arranging speakers, organizing job shadows, etc. To find your regional Intermediary contact, click here.
 Contact: Gena Gesing, Director of Career & Intermediary Programs. Northeast Iowa Career Learning Link, gesingg@nicc.edu or 800-728-2256 x452
Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) held their first Work-Based Learning Conference on Oct. 11, 2016. The intent of the conference was to inspire educators and businesses to become involved with work-based learning while providing helpful tools and information for new and growing programs.
The conference attracted an audience of 137 business professionals, educators, administrators and partners. Special attendees who were recognized included partners from other Iowa Intermediary Network programs, and partner YouthCareer Connect grant recipients from Omaha, (Neb.) St. Paul (Minn.) and Apple Valley (Minn.). All participants received a binder of tips and tools for implementing work-based learning.
The all-day event started with a brief address by NICC President Liang Chee Wee, Ph.D., who also introduced keynote David Gould, Administrator at the Belin-Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development (University of Iowa) and his presentation Play, Passion, and Purpose: A New Arc for Education. Other morning key highlights of the conference included Employment Trends by Wendy Mihm-Herold, Ph.D., NICC; information on new Iowa CTE legislation and career guidance by Jeremy Varner, Division Administrator, Iowa Department of Education; and a Career Learning Link work-based learning student panel.
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During the afternoon, participants attended a work-based learning educator panel. The final address of the day focused on work-based learning laws and legislation by guest speaker Kyle Hougham, Attorney and Advisor at Holmes Murphy. |
 Contact: Leanne Krogmeier, Work-Based Learning Specialist, Southeastern Community College, lkrogmeier@scciowa.edu or 319-208-5053
Five teachers from Southeast Iowa were chosen to participate in the Southeast Iowa Summer Externship Program through SCC. These externships were designed to give K12 teachers real-world experience in local businesses related to their field of expertise. Each teacher spent two full time weeks (80 hours) with their business host.
The program is offered by the Link, SCC’s K12 outreach program for career readiness. The Link is a member of the Iowa Intermediary Network. The program provides events and resources that help prepare students for the workforce by connecting business and educators. It offers work-based learning activities to students and teachers. Other activities include student job shadows, career fairs and worksite tours.
SCC Work-based Learning Specialist and Link coordinator Leanne Krogmeier says the program gave teachers a better understanding of today’s workplace they can then take back to the classroom.
“Spending time in these businesses will give these teachers more than a snapshot of the workplace. It helps them answer students’ age-old question, ‘When will I ever use this?’ It helps them structure their teaching to better communicate how various skills are used and why they’re important.”
K12 teachers from throughout the region applied for the program in the spring. Winners were selected in part by how they plan to apply what they learn in their classroom.
Katie Powers, Quality Control Lab Manager at Big River Resources, saw tremendous value in bringing teachers into the workplace. “I like to show teachers what we do. They can use these experiences to encourage their students to explore careers in various fields.”
Big River Resources LLC manufactures corn based ethanol, and is a located in West Burlington, Iowa.
Powers looked forward to hosting her teacher, Stacey Rector. “We’re both excited about the opportunity to learn from each other.”
Rector is a Science teacher from nearby Mediapolis High School. She spent her time in the lab at Big River Resources assisting with Quality Control by testing samples, and learning about the Environmental Control side of the plant.
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Contact: Samantha Pingel, Work-Based Learning Coordinator, Iowa Central Career Connections, pingel@iowacentral.edu or 515-574 -1076
On October 14, Iowa Central hosted approximately 1,600 students for their annual career day. This day was an interactive day for students to learn about various career opportunities from local business professionals. This day is an event that Iowa Central’s intermediaries organize by collaborating with the high school staff for input and Iowa Central staff. This year’s career day featured keynote speaker, Jeremy Bout, from Edgefactor and a Family Feud game show to end the day with students versus their teachers. The Family Feud game was made up of questions about interviewing and resume tips.
Freshman/sophomore students explored two career cluster sessions. Each session provided a broad overview of a particular career cluster and the related careers. In the afternoon, they attended an informative session on social media through the eyes of a human resources manager.
Junior/Seniors attended one specific career session. Students had over 59 different careers to choose from when registering for the event. Juniors/seniors also attended a session called College Academic Terms (CAT) trivia where they played an interactive game to understand various general college terms such as FASFA, degrees, etc.
Juniors also participated in “The Job,” which was a session that was modeled after the popular television show, “The Voice.” Students were selected at random to come up on stage to answer an interview question. The judges could not see the contestant but twirled around in their chairs if they liked their answer. All judges provided constructive and positive feedback to contestants. The last ten minutes, all contestants that had a judge turn their chair were brought up on stage to ask the questions, “Why should I hire you?” After all the students answered, the judges picked the winner of “The Job” who won a scholarship to Iowa Central.
Contact: Molly Hippen, Hardin County Intermediary Network Coordinator, molly.hippen@iavalley.edu or 641-648-8511 OR Terri Hungerford, Iowa Valley Intermediary Coordinator, terri.hungerford@iavalley.edu or 641-844-5627
On October 6, Iowa Valley Intermediary program collaborated with Iowa Falls-Alden counselor to offer a Career & College Day for all 452 high school students. Students attended morning breakout sessions by Iowa Falls Police Department, Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, area school teachers, Iowa Falls State Bank, Green Belt Bank and Trust, Emerson, Cargill, Iowa Select Farms, Hansen Family Hospital and Scenic Living Communities. After this students were split into two groups; one group attended a college fair with over 20 colleges while the other group participated in a panel. This panel had employers speaking about how to prepare for the working world now and what makes a good candidate for a job.
 More than 125 Poweshiek County high school students explored middle skill opportunities in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, construction, production and trade during the Career Discovery Day on Friday, October 14. The event was hosted by Poweshiek Iowa Development and Iowa Valley Community College District. Representatives from more than 25 area employers were on hand to speak with students, provide hands-on exhibitions and/or take part in panel discussions on job opportunities, educational requirements specific to an industry and job searching. Tours of select local businesses concluded the student’s discovery experience.
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On October 25, Iowa Valley Intermediary program partnered with the Marshalltown Community College Admissions Office to offer a Financial Literacy Fair for area high school students. A total of 150 students were in attendance. Prior to the fair, students researched their desired career and calculated their monthly take home income. During the fair, students visited a variety of booths and made decisions on purchasing a home, car, insurance/utilities, clothing, food and more. Students then meet with a financial advisor to discuss their spending choices. The program also provided a panel discussion for students to learn how to become financially savvy.
Contact: Amy Steenhoek, Intermediary Coordinator, DMACC, absteenhoek@dmacc.edu or 515-965-7117
The Career Discovery Network coordinated a Discover Engineering Technology Day on Oct. 6, 2016, at the DMACC Ankeny Campus. This day was an opportunity for high school students to explore future educational and career options in the areas of Engineering Technology. Students spent the morning at DMACC rotating through hands-on activity sessions led by DMACC instructors in the following areas: Applied Engineering Technology, CAD Tech, Civil Engineering Technology, Electronics Engineering Technology, Robotics, Tool & Die, Water Environmental Technology and Welding. During the afternoon, students were able to tour an Engineering Technology related business. Tours were held at EFCO, Bridgestone, Snyder & Associates, Dee Zee, and ACH Food Companies. A total of 108 students from across the DMACC region attended the day, along with 5 counselors and 12 parents.
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