Education

Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED), through a Growing Small Business in Northeast Iowa grant, is offering the class “Start-Up: An Introduction to Starting a Small Business” in partnership with NICC-Waukon.

Thinking about starting a business but not sure how to begin? There are so many questions that need to be answered. What does it take to be an entrepreneur? Is the business idea a good one? Is there enough money to start the business or what are the financing options? All of these concepts, and perhaps more that haven’t been thought of yet, are discussed in this class.

Entrepreneurs will learn what is necessary to build a firm foundation for a new venture, determine business feasibility, choose a legal form of business, register and license a business, and learn to make cash flow projections. Get prepared to be the one out of five small business owners who actually succeed with a solid business plan to make it happen.

More kids in northeast Iowa will be seeing clearly after the Vision To Learn mobile clinic travels to 45 schools during the 2016-2017 school year, including schools in Allamakee County. Early this year, Vision To Learn and the Community Foundation partnered to pilot the vision program in eight Title I elementary schools in Dubuque and Jackson Counties. As a result, nearly 180 students received free eye exams and 90 students each received two free pairs of glasses.

The Waukon High School Guidance Office is hosting an Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) Financial Aid Presentation for high school seniors and their families. The program will be held Thursday, September 15 at 6 p.m. in the Waukon High School Library.

This session is designed for senior students planning for college and their parents; however, both juniors and seniors could benefit from the information being presented. Some of the topics discussed will include:
• Financial Aid Process
• FAFSA Application Review
• Understanding FAFSA Results
• Understanding Costs - College Comparisons
• Financial Aid Options
• Scholarships Process
• Where to Go for Help.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering the class “Microsoft Excel 2013:  A Focus on Formulas” Wednesday, September 14 from 1-3:30 p.m. at the NICC Waukon Center, located at 1220 Third Avenue NW.

This class will dive into spreadsheet formulas; how they work, how to create them, and ways to put them to good use. Individuals may recognize some of these functions - SUM, VLOOKUP, IFERROR, COUNT, AVERAGE, MIN - but aren’t sure what they mean. Class participants will learn the power of these, plus nesting formulas, text formulas, basic arithmetic expressions and more.

Previous Excel experience is required. Students from Waukon location will be participating via web-based video conference transmitted from the host location in Cresco.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering the class “Microsoft Word 2013 Fast-Paced – Level 1” Tuesday, September 6, and Thursday, September 8 from 5-8 p.m. at the NICC Waukon Center, located at 1220 Third Avenue NW.

This six-hour class is designed for those with little or no experience using Microsoft Word, or for current Word users who want an introduction to the 2013 version. Beginning-level skills will be taught and practiced. An illustrated textbook is included in the cost of the class. Students from the Waukon location will be participating via web-based video conference transmitted from the host location in Manchester.

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) recently received its "College Readiness Letter" from the ACT testing organization for those students who graduated this past May. The report indicates that the ACSD students who graduated in 2016 achieved the highest composite score of any graduating class in over 15 years.

Jordan Wolfe, a 2013 graduate of Waukon High School, just finished 10 weeks of intensive research. Wolfe, who will be staring his fourth year at Cornell College in Mount Vernon this fall, was individually selected to take part in the Cornell Summer Research Institute (CSRI) by professors at Cornell College.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

This time of year, our focus is on getting kids ready to go back to school. We give a lot of thought to buying just the right school supplies, reestablishing our school day routine, and packing safe school lunches. We should also be teaching or reminding kids of tips for staying safe while traveling to and from school.

The Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative has worked with communities for the last nine years to encourage active transportation to and from school. You can learn more at www.iowafoodandfitness.org.

Remind your child that if they are walking to school, they should always walk on the sidewalk; choose the sidewalk on the side of the street that allows them to face traffic; always look both ways before crossing; and don’t run out from between parked cars.

Become an Iowa Master Gardener by completing the core training course this fall through the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Allamakee County office. Gardeners will learn best practices for choosing plants, designing gardens and managing pests. Classes in Allamakee start September 27, but pre-registration is required by September 1.

Classes will be held Tuesday evenings from 6:30-9:30 p.m. and will be held at Allamakee County Extension in Waukon, located at 218 Seventh Avenue SE, Suite #102. There will also be a class held October 8 or 22 in Ames on the campus of Iowa State University. Three face-to-face lectures to cover vegetables, herbs, plant propagation, houseplants and herbaceous ornamentals will also be part of the training.

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting Monday, August 15. Prior to the business meeting, the Board took a tour of some of the projects completed over the summer in the high school/middle school facility, as well as at West Elementary School. Among the larger of those projects viewed was the LED lighting in West Elementary that has made the school’s hallways considerably brighter and the resurfacing and restriping of the parking lot between the two facilities.