Iowa inched closer towards naming its next top agriculture educator of the year with the selection of seven finalists for the Golden Owl Award. 

Sponsored by the Iowa FFA Foundation, Nationwide Insurance and other agricultural partners, the Golden Owl Award recognizes outstanding work in agriculture education and promotes the importance of the field. This year, a record number of 468 nominations were submitted for exceptional agriculture educators in secondary and postsecondary education. 

“Without a doubt, Iowa has top-notch ag teachers across the state who provide high-quality programming for our students,” said Matthew Eddy, agriculture education consultant at the Iowa Department of Education. “This award highlights not only individual achievements but also what Iowa offers as a whole in the area of agriculture education.”

Last Tuesday, the energy in the Capitol Rotunda was lively as approximately 280 students from across the state traveled to Des Moines to participate in CTE Day at the Capitol.

Held during February’s CTE Month, this annual event highlights the importance of career and technical education in Iowa schools and community colleges and celebrates the growth and successes of the field during the past year. The Iowa Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) welcomed students, educators and advisers to CTE Day and encouraged them to share their recent projects and activities with their local legislators. Students involved in CTE programs, such as agriculture, business, family and consumer science, health science information technology and industrial technology, joined in the day’s events to meet with state officials, network with other schools and further develop professional skills.“

Participating in CTE Day at the Capitol provides students with opportunities to strengthen various skills,” said Kristen Bandy, executive director for Iowa ACTE. “Students can reinforce their skills in advocacy, networking and relationship-building, civic engagement and awareness, professionalism and etiquette during the day.”

Governor Reynolds announced $1 million in initial funding for competitive grants available through the Iowa Department of Education to support school districts that partner with or create local child care centers to help more high school students earn a national child development credential.

With 246 districts across Iowa currently offering family and consumer science pathways as part of their career and technical education, the new Credentials for Child Care Careers grant will help schools support a strong child care pipeline.

“Preparing Iowa’s future workforce begins in our schools. Our investment in work-based learning opportunities introduces students to in-demand careers and offers programs that provide the training necessary to earn a credential while still in high school,” Governor Reynolds stated. “This forward-looking approach not only prepares young Iowans to be career ready upon graduation, it also supports local businesses in building their workforce pipeline.”

“The Credentials for Child Care Careers grant will expand access to high-quality child care, while supporting an early childhood workforce of and for local communities,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “By aligning existing programs to the attainment of an industry-recognized credential, this innovative program will strengthen pathways to in-demand child development careers.”

For most people, four weeks isn’t enough time to make a significant difference in their lives. But for 20-year-old Whitney Finer, four weeks was enough to kick start her new career pathway in nursing – and best of all, she was able to do it for free.

Finer, a native of Clear Lake, enrolled in the accelerated certified nursing assistant (CNA) program at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) to begin her journey towards a nursing degree. She was pleasantly surprised to learn not only could she complete this pre-requisite course in a short amount of time, but she also qualified for tuition and fee assistance through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief funding, better known as GEER II Gap Expansion.

“Financially, it was amazing,” she said. “When I found out we get two free pairs of scrubs and free books, it was a big weight off of my shoulders.”

Through GEER II Gap Expansion, Finer saved an estimated $2,000 in tuition and fees for the CNA course.

Two Iowa community colleges have been awarded funding for road improvement projects through the State Park and Institutional Roads Program.

For calendar year 2028, Iowa Western Community College will receive $250,000 for a full-depth cement concrete patching project. Des Moines Area Community College will also receive $250,000 for a road replacement project at their Ankeny campus.

The State Park and Institutional Roads Program provides funding to construct, reconstruct, improve and maintain roadways, including bridges, within the boundaries of state-owned lands or community college property. Sixty-five one-hundredths of one percent of the Road Use Tax Fund is allocated for maintenance and improvement of the State Park and Institutional Roads system. 

There are over 600 miles of roadways in the Park and Institutional Roads System. State agencies participating in the program are the Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC), Iowa State Fair Board, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Guard of Iowa, Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Board of Regents, Iowa Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Capitol Complex and the Iowa Department of Education.

A new application round for calendar year 2029 will begin on March 1. All applications must be received by April 30.

For more information, contact Jeffrey Fletcher at Jeffrey.fletcher@iowa.gov or 515-321-7309.

Congratulations to Dennis Harden, section chief for the Bureau of Community Colleges and Postsecondary Readiness. He was recently elected to the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Education Foundation Board of Directors!

The ASE Education Foundation is a non-profit organization that evaluates and accredits entry-level automotive technology programs against standards developed by the automotive service industry. It also develops career-readiness education for students which fuse local partnerships, rigorous standards-based education, work-based learning and mentorship together.

The Bureau of Community Colleges and Postsecondary Readiness will say goodbye to two staff members this week. 

Matthew Eddy, agriculture education consultant, is leaving the Department to pursue other career opportunities. Additionally, Justin Lewis, computer science education consultant, will transfer internally as the new bureau chief of the Governor's STEM Advisory Council. Both consultants will depart the bureau on Feb. 29. 

During the interim, bureau section chief Dennis Harden is available for any questions regarding agriculture education and computer science initiatives. Harden can be reached at dennis.harden@iowa.gov or 515-314-7852.

The bureau thanks Eddy and Lewis for their contributions to career and technical education and community college issues and sends them best wishes as they pursue their new career paths!