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Everyone is likely getting settled back into schedules and routines this week following what was hopefully a restful and enjoyable break. This month's newsletter contains information about some great new grants, a handful of upcoming events in April and some important reminders or information to consider as we race towards the end of the school year. Watch out for fast approaching deadlines though!
I hope to see many of you in April at the Iowa Work-Based Learning Coordinators Conference on 04/02, Iowa STEM Council's Iowa Classrooms+Workplaces Summit on 04/10 or Build My Future (BMF) Career Immersion Event on 04/17. Registration is still open for a little while longer for these events, but has unfortunately closed for BMF, which will host a record breaking 7,000 students from across the state this year!
Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns, ideas or other feedback for how we can better serve you and your amazing work. Take care and keep up the great work everyone.
Sincerely,
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The Iowa Department of Education has announced $3.5 million in competitive grants to support Iowa schools, in partnership with community organizations, to create, expand and sustain high-quality before-and-after school programs that support families and advance student achievement. The Learning Beyond the Bell grant will help more schools provide a safe and supportive environment for children to learn and explore their interests outside of the traditional school day.
Schools can apply for up to $200,000 to develop or expand before- and after-school programming to be implemented this spring, summer and into the 2024-2025 school year. Allowable costs may include, but are not limited to, staffing, evidence-based interventions in math and/or reading, tutoring and other activities to advance student achievement, transportation costs and snacks and meals aligned with requirements of the National School Lunch Program.
The application is available on IowaGrants.gov and has a deadline of noon on next Friday, March 29, 2024.
The new Credentials for Child Care Careers (C4) grant is now available to support districts in providing students with a Child Development Associate Credential (CDA) through local Family and Consumer Science (FCS) programming, while building the child care workforce through community partnerships with licensed child care centers.
Eligible school districts that partner with a licensed child care center, including school-operated child care programs, can apply for up to $15,000 for each of the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, for a total of $30,000. Allowable costs include student exam fees, textbooks, CDA course materials, student stipends, licensed child care partner stipends, and other approved expenses that help remove barriers to participation.
The application is now open on IowaGrants.gov and has a deadline of noon on next Friday, March 29, 2024.
Registration closes this Friday, 03/22 for the amazing and informative Iowa Work-Based Learning Coordinators Conference!
Scheduled for April 2, 2024 at The Meadows Event Center - Prairie Meadows in Altoona, IA, this one-day conference brings together leaders in work-based learning to build knowledge, capacity and skills to strengthen work-based learning and access for every student. It is on my "must attend" list each year.
Something new this year is that through a generous donation from the Greater Des Moines Partnership, a group of employers will be hosting booths to chat with conference attendees about their hopes and
Click on the link below to review the great sessions and speakers lined up for this year. Groups of five or more utilizing an invoice will receive a $10 discount per registrant. Members of ACTE/IACTE also receive a $50 discount. Hope to see you there!
Presented by the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council at the Iowa Department of Education, the Summit brings together Iowans from education, business and industry, nonprofits, trade organizations, professional societies, governmental agencies, elected officials, students and others to amplify the public conversation and set the stage for inspiring networks, making connections and accessing what is possible to establish learning environments that link classroom learning to real-world career opportunities.
- The morning will include a presentation by Code.org Chief Academic Officer Pat Yongpradit on the “Future of Innovation and STEM: CS and AI Education as a Foundation,” as well as a presentation by ExcelinEd Senior Policy Fellow Christy Hovanetz on credentials to careers.
- Participants will be in for an inspiring presentation by Kemin Industries over the lunchtime with remarks on the importance of science education in our world today along with the recognition of the six STEM Teacher Awardees for 2024. The STEM Teacher Award has been sponsored by Kemin Industries since 2014.
- The afternoon breakout sessions will provide an array of options for career-linked learning toward bright horizons and actionable outcomes.
Registration is FREE, but required and will close in a few weeks on Wednesday, April 3rd!
Please consider taking a minute ROAR for WBL - Recognize the great work of new or existing work-based learning programs or initiatives; Offer exciting news, updates or plans; Acknowledge others with notes of appreciation or kudos; and brag a little about Rewards or awards earned for Iowa's amazing work-based learning programs, coordinators, educators, counselors, employers and other partners or support staff.
Below are a few great examples of submissions received of Iowans doing amazing work at both state and national levels! Please consider submitting your ROARs anonymously through the basic Google Form at the link below. Submissions may also be sent directly to me at joe.collins@iowa.gov.
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- Boone High School Senior Intern Gracie Gustafson is a national finalist for the America's Next Great Intern contest by Rubin Education. She represents Boone High School's EDGE program. Please vote for her every day through April 5th so we can represent Iowa in this nationwide contest! https://rubineducation.com/vote
- The students at the Waterloo Career Center are brewing up success with a really cool new student-led coffee shop! The project spanned many different pathway areas, from the business planning to construction of the shop. These students did an amazing job and we are very excited for the future of Savvy Beans. Check out the story here.
- Special shout-out to the finalists for the 2023-24 Golden Owl Award, which recognizes the top agriculture educator of the year. There were a record number of 468 nominations and the final winner will be announced in April:
- Carlton Ness, South Hamilton Community School District
- Ashley Wolfe, Grinnell-Newburg Community School District
- John Daniels, Belle Plaine Community School District
- Barb Lemmer, Linn-Mar Community School District
- Amber Greiman, Hawkeye Community College
- Matthew Schroeder, Estherville Lincoln Central Community School District
- Casey Allen, Lenox Community School District
- We held the FIRST Tech Challenge Iowa Championship at Xtream Arena in Coralville this month and it was AMAZING! Hundreds of students from 72 high school and middle school teams from around Iowa and parts of Nebraska competed. Students get first-hand, real-world experience in designing, building and programming robots to accomplish a series of tasks. Four teams will now move on to the world championship later this year in Houston, Texas.
- I'd like to recognize Tom Rupp, the PE Teacher at MOC-Floyd Valley Middle School, for helping to set up a student peer mentoring program that helps 8th grade students gain some leadership, customer service and teaching skills through assisting younger students with physical fitness and other activities.
- Congratulations to Kelsey Miller, who teachers Family and Consumer Sciences at Sioux City North High School, for taking the Iowa Restaurant Association's ProStart program to a new level and being named their 2024 Iowa ProStart Educator of Excellence. She is also now in the running for the national James H. Maynard Teacher of the Year award. Great job!
You can help us find Iowa’s next Teacher of the Year! The Iowa Department of Education is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Iowa Teacher of the Year through April 16. Anyone can submit a nomination for an outstanding Iowa teacher for this prestigious honor.
From your nominations, nine semi-finalists will be selected as Regional Teachers of the Year, with one being named as the 2025 Iowa Teacher of the Year.
Learn more about the Iowa Teacher of the Year award and submit your nomination today!
Share the Work-Based Learning Coordinator newsletter with your colleagues. Invite them to sign up to receive it in their mailbox using the following button.
Joe Collins
Work-Based Learning Consultant
Bureau of Community College and Postsecondary Readiness
Division of Higher Education
Iowa Department of Education
515-419-5190
joe.collins@iowa.gov
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