Education

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is now accepting entries for the 2016 Iowa Federal Junior Duck Stamp (JDS) art contest from all student artists in kindergarten through 12th grade. In entering the JDS contest, students learn about waterfowl and their habitat, and then create an image of an eligible North American waterfowl species to enter into the contest.  This contest can be entered by school groups, informal groups, or students may enter individually.
Iowa entries for 2016 must be postmarked by March 15, 2016 and mailed to Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 399, 9981 Pacific Street, Prairie City, IA 50228.  All information needed to participate can be found on the website. The website is new with a very long address, so participants are asked to conduct a website search for “junior duck stamp”.

Hannah Stegen, daughter of Stephane and Loren Stegen of Huntsville, AL and granddaughter of Marlene and Denis Welch of rural Lansing, will be graduating from the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, AL Friday, December 11 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. She will continue studying at the University of Montevallo in pursuit of a Master's degree in Secondary Education with a focus on Social Science.
Since beginning to attend the University of Montevallo in the fall of 2012 with a major in Sociology and minor in Vocal Performance, Stegen has achieved President's List honors, requiring a 3.80 or higher grade point average, every semester. She was also chosen by her professors as Senior Elite for her Sociology major, an honor bestowed on a student who exhibits leadership and academic excellence in a specific field of study.

The Early Childhood Education program at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) has received a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Scholarship to support its entry into a national accreditation process by the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Early Childhood Association Degree Accreditation (ECADA) program.
The Kellogg Scholarship will defray application, self study review and site visit expenses as the college program begins its accreditation process through NAEYC. After a one-year successful review of the program, the NAEYC will award the NICC program a seven-year accreditation.
The NAEYC Commission on Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation awards accreditation to associate degree programs that demonstrate evidence of meeting professional preparation standards, and accreditation provides a framework for self study, external evaluation and improvement in the quality of teacher preparation.

Jill Weber
Human Sciences Specialist
jrweber@iastate.edu
319-234-6811

A special program of American Indian stories and oral traditions will be presented by  Albert Le Beau, Cultural Resource Program  Manager for Effigy Mounds National Monument, Saturday, December 5 from 2-3 p.m. The program will take place at the Monument’s Visitor Center located at 151 Highway 76, just three miles north of Marquette.
Le Beau is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota and he holds a Master’s Degree in Archaeology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has worked at Effigy Mounds since 2013. Prior to that he served as an archeologist with the Midwest Archeological Center of the National Parks Service, and also held the position of Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Cheyenne  River Sioux Tribe. Le Beau also serves the National Trust for Historic Preservation as an Advisory Board Member.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is launching Career Coach, a free online tool that allows students and community members to explore potential careers. Career Coach can be accessed by visiting the NICC homepage at www.nicc.edu and accessing the “Explore Careers” link in the Quick Links area.
Through a simple keyword search, students and any visitor to the NICC website can learn about the employment prospects of careers they want to research and programs available to help them reach their goals. The real-time information is customized to the College’s district and border area and includes detailed wage estimates and growth outlook associated with any career. Individuals can also complete short career interest assessments, browse programs and search for a variety of jobs associated with NICC programs.

by Brianne Eilers

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The regular monthly Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors meeting was held Monday, November 16 at Kee High School in Lansing. Board Members Bruce Palmborg, Bobbie Goetzinger, Kelli Mudderman, Melanie Mauss and Board President Heather Schulte were present, along with Board Secretary/Business Manager Marian Verdon, Kee High School and Middle School Principal Mary Hogan, New Albin Elementary Principal Chad Steckel and EACSD Superintendent Dr. Dale Crozier.

American Education Week, observed November 16-20, presents Americans with an opportunity to celebrate public education and honor individuals who are working to make a difference in ensuring that every child receives a quality education. This year’s theme for American Education Week is "Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility".
Allamakee Community Education Association (ACEA) is a membership of teachers from the Allamakee Community School District dedicated to that principle. The Association takes pride in working positively and progressively for the needs of students, staff and the community.

As the beef industry in Iowa continues to expand its share of the state’s economy, Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is committed to the vitality of the cattle industry through excellence in postsecondary agriculture education and by developing state-of-the-art facilities.
In September, NICC began preparing a site for the new Beef Science Technology Building at the Calmar campus. The $1.2 million facility, which will be located just north of Iowa’s Dairy Center, replaces an aging building. The new 13,750 sq. ft. mono slope beef shelter will be used primarily by Beef Science Technology program students, as well as students enrolled in all of the college’s ag programs, including Large Animal Veterinary Technician, Agriculture Business and Dairy Science.