Iowa Central Community College is one of four community colleges in the state that’s been awarded a one-million dollar competitive grant through the Career Academy Incentive Fund.
The grants, which were announced today (Tues) by Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education, are meant to prepare more high school students for success in college, post-secondary training, and the workforce. The grants will increase access to career academy programs in high-demand fields through new regional centers.
Iowa Central’s grant will be used to create a new regional center in Storm Lake that will serve students from five districts. Construction on the facility near the Iowa Central Training Center on the north side of town is scheduled to begin in the upcoming spring. Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon is another of the grant recipients.
The Career Academy Incentive Fund was established by a 2019 law that extends a statewide penny sales tax for school infrastructure called Secure an Advanced Vision for Education, or SAVE, through January of 2051. This is the 5th round of awards. Applications for a 6th round of funding will open in the spring.