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Preschool Partnership with Green Hills AEA

August 10, 2024

The preschool teacher embedded in Franklin Elementary School through the Green Hills AEA calls her students to the colorful rug in the front of the room. She outlines the posted schedule for the day and asks the class a question about today’s weather. Several hands shoot up, begging to be called on. The children aren’t […]

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Arts Center at Iowa Western

May 11, 2024

Youth Series Field Trips for Thousands of K-12 Students When the two performers walk out onto the stage at the Arts Center, a hush falls over the crowd of hundreds of excited 3rd and 4th graders, from the bus ride from their elementary school and filing down the steps to the auditorium, they are finally […]

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FIRST AVE

April 22, 2024

A Vibrant Thoroughfare in Council Bluffs A few years ago, few identifiable amenities existed along a little-known right-of-way called First Avenue. Fast forward to today, where it’s a household name in Council Bluffs (featured on at least one license plate) and a bustling hub of a trail for people walking, children playing, and unique, all-ages […]

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Rural Volunteer Fire Departments

October 10, 2023

$2 million to 50+ Communities  In small, rural Iowa communities, fire departments play a vital role in safeguarding their communities and are important to the success and wellbeing of the towns they serve. Sadly, they often operate with limited resources to sustain their operations. City budgets typically only cover essential expenses, such as vehicles and […]

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Iowa Legal Aid: Eviction Diversion Help Desk

October 9, 2023

Iowa Legal Aid: Eviction Diversion Help Desk From Crisis to Solution: Iowa Legal Aid’s Impact on Eviction Rates  Have you ever been so shocked by a statistic that it drove you to make a change?  Erin Planalp, an attorney with Iowa Legal Aid, was immediately alarmed when she learned Pottawattamie County had the greatest increase […]

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ASPIRE

September 8, 2023

Today’s Students = Tomorrow’s Workforce ASPIRE was created in partnership with Pottawattamie County school districts to serve the unique needs of both urban and rural students. It allows superintendents to use flexible funding to grow existing workforce training programs or launch new ones. Each program ensures students receive support in their career exploration and assistance […]

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Anawim Housing: A Housing First Approach

May 8, 2023

What is a Housing First approach?  If a person is hungry, you don’t ask them to purchase pots and pans and then learn how to cook. You feed them first, and then begin to address the root causes that led to hunger. Similarly, “Housing First” is a strategy rooted in the belief that all people […]

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