ABI Foundation, Elevate Iowa, and Iowa Intermediary Network are making an impact!

August 13, 2021 | Shaping Iowa's Leaders of Tomorrow Michele Farrell, Program Manager, Elevate Advanced Manufacturing,

The ABI Foundation and Iowa Intermediary Network are excited to announce the impact of their partnership on statewide work-based learning efforts during 2020-2021! The partners made the best of a challenging academic year for student work-based learning opportunities and launched the concept of virtual statewide events. These events provided students and educators the experience of experts from across the state joining them virtually in their own classrooms to learn first-hand about exciting careers in Iowa!

All virtual statewide events connected directly to career and technical education standards that must be taught in classrooms, and also included assessments that educators could use with their students. Many classrooms and students attended the events live, which offered the opportunity to “chat” with presenters and ask questions about their fields of expertise.

Recordings of events are also available on the Iowa Intermediary Network’s Connection Lab, located at https://www.iowain.org/connection-lab. Anyone can access the recordings through a digital download, and everyone is encouraged to view these high-quality virtual events! Events produced through the ABI Foundation and Intermediary partnership covered four of the six Career and Technical

Education service areas in Iowa:

• Growth Opportunities within Iowa Businesses

• Small Business Entrepreneurship Panel

• Control Your Inventory: Make $$$$!

• Rise to the Top: Iowa’s CEOs

• Helping Hands: Therapy Service Careers

• Delicious Didn’t Happen by Accident

• Iowa Manufacturing: Visionary Leaders

• Masters of Design: Engineering in Iowa

The total impact to date of these events was 3,345 students and 206 educators, with a variety of ABI members directly contributing content. All partners of the Iowa Intermediary Network’s inaugural virtual events made it possible to achieve a significant reach statewide. Through mid-May, the Intermediary Network reported that virtual events resulted in an overall impact of:

• 248 participating zip codes

• 426 educators registering classes

• 12,535 students impacted

• 314 school buildings participating

• 571 download requests

Traffic to the Iowa Intermediary website increased dramatically this year as well, with visits coming from 47 states and the District of Columbia. The statewide virtual events were made possible through funding of the Iowa Intermediary Network Technical Assistance Committee (IITAC) grant. The grantees, Northeast Iowa Community College and partner Hawkeye Community College, heavily rely on the IITAC Executive team and IITAC Advisory Team members to identify key initiatives that will move work-based learning forward for the state and create dynamic partnerships to ensure innovation occurs without duplication of services.

The ABI Foundation and Elevate Iowa are key partners in the Executive Team and provides consistent communication and leadership to IITAC. The ABI Foundation, Elevate Iowa, and Iowa Intermediary Network are excited about the future of their partnership efforts, and look forward to continued collaboration that generates excitement about businesses and careers in Iowa! To become involved with work-based learning, please contact the ABI Foundation or visit the Iowa Intermediary

Network website to find your regional coordinator www.iowain.org/connect.