Education

The Iowa 4-H Foundation is proud to share that the application for 2024 Iowa 4-H Scholarships is now open. Deadline for application is March 1, 2024.

This year, 129 scholarships will be available worth a total of $132,000. Scholarships range from $500-$4,000. Scholarships are funded by donors with a variety of criteria and are open to current high school juniors and seniors through current undergraduates.

“We are grateful to the donors who make these scholarships possible to recognize and reward the hard work of 4-H’ers in Iowa,” said Emily Saveraid, Executive Director of the Iowa 4-H Foundation. “We know that financing a college education can be a challenge and hope that these scholarships can help ease that burden a bit.”

This is the 19th year for the alumni scholarship instituted by the Allamakee Scholarship Fund (ASF), Inc. Board of Directors. The award is made to a Waukon High School graduate who participated in ASF, Inc. while in high school and received an award as a graduating senior.

The ASF, Inc. Board feels it is important to continue the encouragement to ACSD graduates as they continue their education, not just as they start their post-high school program. The group wishes to encourage participation in community service and college activities that are part of their educational growth and preparation for career and community life.

Editor’s Note: The following article was originally printed October 6, 2023 in Wallaces Farmer. It is being reprinted here with permission granted by editorial staff of that publication. The article features Waukon High School 2021 graduate Madalyn Palmer, currently a senior student at Iowa State University in Ames, and Spring Grove, MN High School 2022 graduate Ashlyn Hammel, who is currently a sophomore at Iowa State University.

Helping new students be successful in a new environment is exactly what the ACES program is doing at Iowa State University (ISU).

ACES stands for Agricultural Community Encourages Success and provides ISU freshmen with a residential learning community for about 50 students of an agricultural major. By applying and being accepted into the program, 25 females and 25 males live in a similar space in Maple Hall in the dormitories in Ames.

The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter is offering a free, four-week virtual education series to help families facing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. The programs help families better understand what to expect so they can be prepared to meet the changes ahead, including changes in communication and behaviors, discussing dementia as a family and planning ahead for future financial and legal considerations.

The virtual series will begin this Thursday, December 7 at 12 p.m. via Zoom and continue each Thursday through December 28. The schedule of programs includes:

December 7 - Effective Communication Strategies: This program explains the communication changes that take place throughout the course of Alzheimer’s disease, how to decode and respond to the verbal and behavioral messages delivered by someone with dementia, and strategies to connect and communicate at each stage of the disease.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The  Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors met Monday, November 27 at Kee High School in Lansing. Board President Bobbie Goetzinger called the meeting to order. Board members  Tony Becker, Bobbie Goetzinger, Melanie Mauss and Arla Wagner were present, and board member Kelli Mudderman was not in attendance. EACSD Superintendent and Lansing Middle School/Kee High School Principal Dr. Sarah Murray, New Albin Elementary School Principal Donna Thomas and Board Secretary Michele Martin were also present.

Audience members attending included Lansing FFA Advisor Ray Rankin and the following FFA students: Jackson Schulte, Kaleb Drape, Dustin Stendel, Kyle Mauss, Mason Mohn, Zachary Meyer and Landyn Rankin. Visitors Tom Martin, Marian Verdon and Tyler Verdon were also in attendance.

The Waukon Lions Club recently donated $600 to the Allamakee Community School District’s (ACSD) Milk Program. Pictured above, left to right, are Jessica Keenan and Kay Gavin of the Allamakee Community School District Food Service Department and Carrie Niehaus of the Waukon Lions Club. Submitted photo.
 

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Pesticide Safety Education Program will be hosting live-streamed Commercial Continuing Instruction Courses (C-CIC) online this fall as an additional opportunity for commercial pesticide applicators to attend. Attendees will need a computer or device with good internet connection to participate in any of the programs.

Applicators can register by going online to the Extension Store (https://store.extension.iastate.edu) and searching for “Live Streamed”. Note that registration ends when the maximum of 290 attendees is reached or at 9 a.m. the day before the program, whichever occurs first. Following is the schedule for the statewide CIC reshow dates and times:

At its Monday, November 20 meeting, the Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Board of Trustees held its annual organizational meeting to elect members to officer positions. The board also held a closed session to discuss personnel and welcomed a new Trustee.

Members elected Jim Anderson to board chair, Kathy Gunderson to vice chair, Lexi Wagner, NICC executive director of finance, to treasurer and Heather Groth, executive assistant to the president, to continue her service as board secretary.

The board then held a closed session to discuss performance-related concerns of President Dr. Herbert Riedel, and members took action to move forward with possible termination of Dr. Riedel’s contract. The Trustees motioned to proceed with termination procedures for cause for Dr. Herbert Riedel pursuant to Iowa Code 279.24; by unanimous vote the Trustees will move forward with the process of terminating the employment contract of Dr. Riedel.

Early in November, students at East and West Elementary Schools in Waukon enjoyed a visit from renowned illustrator and author Derek Anderson. Students were excited to see his hidden pictures in his drawings, learn about the process of becoming an author/illustrator, and watch Anderson create a drawing from scratch of Ally the alligator.

Anderson currently resides in Minneapolis, MN but is a native of Ames and attended Iowa State University for a degree in art and design. He has illustrated over 30 books and authored more than 20. Some of his most famous works include: Little Quack, Hot Rod Hamster, Benny McGee and the Shark, and Croc and Ally. Anderson also took time to sign some of this books for students in attendance.

In October, students from East and West Elementary Schools in Waukon participated in the annual fall book fair hosted in the East Elementary School small gym and organized by Mrs. Lisa Snitker, Allamakee Community School District Teacher Librarian. Students at East and West Elementary Schools visited the book fair during their scheduled library periods, with West Elementary students taking a field trip to East Elementary to see the array of books.