Education

Confinement site manure applicators should plan to attend a two-hour workshop offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to maintain or renew their confinement site manure applicator certification.

“Iowa law requires confinement site manure applicators to attend two hours of continuing education each year of their three-year certification period or take and pass the exam once every three years,” said Dan Andersen, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering and extension agriculture engineering specialist at Iowa State University, and coordinator of the manure applicator certification program. “If applicators fail to attend the two hours of continuing education each year, they will be required to pass a written exam to be eligible to recertify.”

Waukon Middle School eighth grade student Gavin Rounds finished in second place in the state of Iowa in the Iowa Stock Market Game Middle School Division. As part of the contest offered by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Foundation, each student was given $100,000 in pretend money to invest. Rounds was able to turn his $100,000 into $119,132.76 in 10 weeks, a return of 19.1%. Rounds’ results beat the S&P 500 return by 11.1% during that same timeframe, and his biggest gaining stocks were Netflix and Spotify. The students participating in the annual contest learn the basics of saving and investing. Submitted photo.
 

What’s small, round, red and associated with Thanksgiving? The cranberry! Students at Cora B. Darling Elementary School in Postville learned many fascinating facts about cranberries in the month of November as part of the Pick A Better Snack™ program. They watched a drone video of the cranberry harvest, learning the bogs must be flooded so the berry can float to the surface making it easier to harvest.

Students saw the four chambers inside the fruit and watched as a cranberry was placed in a tub of water, proving they float. Other fun facts are that cranberry juice is the most popular way cranberries are consumed and they are full of vitamin C, fiber and potassium.

by Brianne Grimstad

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met for its regular monthly meeting Monday night, December 18. Under the consent agenda, the following personnel were approved, pending a satisfactory background check: Kids Club staff. The board also accepted a resignation from Mandee Dundee from her elementary paraprofessional position.

The board heard from the Science Professional Learning team, who explained how they determine what students should learn,  how best to teach it and what to do if students are not understanding content or if they are proficient in the content. Methods such as science journals and lab reports are used to measure how students are doing. Students often collaborate and the ones who know the material can help those who may not quite understand the material.

The Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Waukon Center will offer High School Driver Education for Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) students. Students may register for one of these sessions:

• Monday and Wednesday, January 3-February 28, from 5-7 p.m. (#94864)
• Monday and Wednesday, March 4-April 29, from 5-7:30 p.m. (#94865)

To satisfy the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements, students must attend 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of Behind the Wheel (BTW) driving experience. Attendance is required at all sessions. Students must have an Iowa driver’s permit before the first class.

The deadline for paid registration is one week before each class start date (for free and reduced lunch scenarios, students should contact the school office). To register, call the NICC Waukon Center at 844-642-2338, ext. 6700.
 

Alliant Energy is seeking applications for its 2024 Innovation Scholarships. Across Iowa and Wisconsin, up to 25 students will receive $1,000 scholarships to further their academic goals.

“I was extremely honored to be a recipient of this award to continue my dedication to academic excellence in college,” said Abigail Bence, 2023 Innovation Scholarship recipient and Central College (Pella) student. “I can further my education and give back to my community once I begin my career in physical therapy. I am thankful to Alliant Energy for your confidence and willingness to help me achieve my goals.”

Applicants will write an essay that identifies a problem in their community and presents their own innovative solution using science, technology, engineering and/or math. Scholarship recipients will be selected based on essay content, participation in leadership roles, volunteer work, community service, activities and grade-point average.

by Marcia Rogers, Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation board member

College bills for the next semester are looming, and students and families are looking for ways to pay for any amount not covered by financial aid, savings or earnings. Many turn to private education loans. Because most traditional-age students need cosigners to qualify or receive better rates or because you would like take out a loan in your name to help pay a child’s expenses, you as a parent may be investigating student loan options specifically for yourself.

Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation educates students and families on planning and paying for college, as well as providing education loans under the name ISL Education Lending. As an ISL board member, I want to help ensure that families understand the pros and cons of taking out student loans. I encourage you to remember the following tips for parents who want to help with education loans:

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.