This year, we’ve invested $375,704.90 into the Waterloo Schools to support a variety of projects and initiatives throughout the Waterloo Schools. This would not have been possible without your generosity. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!
Take a look below at the exciting projects and initiatives funded this year:
This year, we awarded 21 grants to staff across the District. These included innovative projects like the East High extended core grocery store simulator and workstations and program-enhancing purchases like PCs for the Waterloo Esports team and enhancements for a middle school guitar class. Teacher grants this year reached almost every building within Waterloo Schools!
From establishing a coffee cart at the Waterloo Career Center to the creation of a book highlighting amazing Waterloo women, the students who received grants this year are innovating and growing right inside our community. Other students are attending nationwide prestigious academic conferences, including the National Student Leadership Conference at Johns Hopkins and the Congress of Future Medical Leaders at Harvard. All 9 of these experiences and projects are making an impact on the next generation of leaders!
WSF partners with the WCSD mentor coaches to cover the cost of the Standard Teaching Licenses of returning 3rd-year teachers. Once they complete their mentor program and commit to teaching for a third year in the Waterloo Schools, the WSF funds their $100 license that is required by the Iowa Department of Education. This year, we awarded 41 teachers across 16 buildings!
Over the year, we appreciate WCSD staff in multiple ways. Highlights include awarding the best dancers on opening day a meal catered by their favorite food truck. This year, Kittrell Elementary received this award! And, throughout the year, we gift each ‘Living Our Values’ awardee a gift card to a local restaurant to celebrate their hard work for our students.
This year, we were able to fund 98 students to attend one of our longest-supported initiatives! With support from the Guernsey Foundation, we provide scholarships for students to attend this week-long STEM-based program held every summer. This year, we were able to gift around $20,000 for this program alone - totaling over $170,000 we’ve invested into Camp Invention scholarships over the years!
Thanks to Farmers State Bank and private donors, we supported $10,000 towards Arts Ignite in the WCSD for the third year. This summer camp brings together over 125 English language learners and Migrant students to experience various art forms (dance, vocal, creative writing, etc.) to increase their English language skills.
Now, more than ever, it’s important for our students to receive realistic training and exposure before entering the workforce. With specific WCC funds, we were able to purchase a 350-pound bariatric manikin for the health career pathways. This manikin allows students to practice safety lifts, search for and identify skin lesions, and understand what true human bodies look like in our society today.
We are happy to facilitate several Waterloo Career Center partnerships. With these dollars, the WSF has been able to support the Career Center in multiple ways, including support for CyberSecurity students to attend competitions and the purchase of essential hands-on materials for the health careers pathways. Most notably this year, through a partnership with PSSI, we financially helped launch five new pathways.
Our most recent initiative, Teach Waterloo, is a partnership between the WCSD and the University of Northern Iowa. Support staff of diverse backgrounds can achieve their education degree at UNI free of cost while working for the Waterloo Schools - and secure a teaching position in the district post-graduation!
Coaches Academy is a unique opportunity that provides professional development for the Waterloo Schools coaching staff. This program enhances the athletic experience and pride in the WCSD. Through the Young Family Foundation, we have provided $175,000+ since 2020 to support this program.
Hoover Middle School has a unique space for students to learn - an observatory. We have funded various items in the Shirey observatory over the years as we spend time focusing on STEM in the schools. We’ve been fortunate to fund this observatory for over 4 years to support students interested in exploring the nature of the universe and celestial bodies.
This year, thanks to Mike & Barb Henning’s generosity, we covered the cost of 6 Pre-K paraprofessional CDA certifications. Every few years, these paraprofessionals are required to renew their CDA certification. This partnership will continue to encourage the continuing education of staff that lead our youngest students!
This year, over 80 middle school students immersed themselves in hands-on career exploration thanks to a donation from Veridian Credit Union. From coding, game design, and graphic design, crafting dishes in culinary, and exploring fields like STEM, electrical, health, mass media, education, plumbing, and business – they experienced so many career options!