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ELKADER, IOWA  - NOVEMBER 30, 2023 

High school students across northeast Iowa gained hands-on experience in educational healthcare careers like Occupational and Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and Social Work at an event hosted by Keystone Area Education Agency (AEA) and Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC). Students practiced typing braille, explored apps to help toddlers learn to speak vowel sounds, and learned from AEA Occupational Therapists how to adapt everyday household items so children with physical challenges can learn and play just like their peers.

The “Healthcare in Education Exploratory Career Day” held at Keystone AEA in Elkader on November 28 had attendance from nearly 40 high school students from Howard-Winneshiek, MFL MarMac, New Hampton, Turkey Valley, Postville, South Winneshiek, and Starmont. 

Students transitioned through hands-on career stations allowing them to gain experience and ask questions about careers in audiology, early childhood, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, school psychology, school social work, and teaching and supporting mobility for students with visual impairments. 

High school students learn about careers in Occupational Therapy Kelcie Smith, College and Career Coach with NICC, accompanied six Starmont High School students. “Kids don’t always realize how a career can help other people,” Smith said. “Physical or sports education can lead to a career in occupational therapy. Exposing them to these options opens their eyes and they realize there are more options than what they see day-to-day.”

“I found the occupational therapy station the most interesting,” said Jax, a freshman from Starmont.  It was cool to see how people can use tools to improve lives and find solutions to help others.”

While some may think of Career Day as a “field trip” that certainly is not the case for these students. All Iowa students in Grades 8-12 grade complete an Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) as part of a roadmap to post-graduation. Through connection to the ICAP students consider the steps needed to achieve their postsecondary goals, whether that is entering the workforce immediately or continuing their education. Healthcare was a commonly identified career path for all of the students attending the event. 

Another NICC College and Career Coach, Krista Skaalan, brought six students from South Winneshiek to the event. “A lot of students are interested in the healthcare field and a lot of them are primarily interested in nursing,” said Skaalan. “This helps them understand that there is much more to the healthcare field. There are a ton of people interested in sign language and now they realize they can use that skill in the healthcare field.”  

Vincent, a freshman from Starmont, shared why he attended the event, “I want to be a PE teacher when I grow up. I thought maybe this would show me other careers that I might be able to expand into. Physical therapy and speech therapy were the most interesting to me today and I was also surprised to learn there are so many careers in the “Hearing” field.”
 

Starmont students learn about careers in Hearing and Audiology
A similar event was held in early November at Keystone AEA’s Dubuque location. 

Keystone Area Education Agency provides special education services for children ages birth-21, and educational and media services to 21 public school districts and 21 nonpublic schools, covering nearly 5,000-square-miles in these counties: Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek. For more information visit www.keystoneaea.org

 

ELKADER, IOWA - NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Area school boards elect members to the Keystone Area Education Agency Board of Directors 

The Keystone AEA Board is comprised of nine members who represent director districts across an eight county area of Northeast Iowa.  The local school boards within those director districts cast a ballot at their November school board meetings. The vote is weighted based on overall population from the 2020 census.  The following members were recently elected and will be sworn in on December 18, 2023:

Michael Haluska of Decorah was re-elected as the director in Director District 2, including the Central, Decorah (part), Postville, and South Winneshiek Community School Districts. Haluska will begin his second term on the Keystone AEA Board. 

Sue Updegraff of West Union was re-elected for her third term as the director in Director District 4 including the North Fayette Valley, Oelwein, Starmont and West Central Community School Districts. 

Ed Poynor of Manchester was elected as the director in Director District 5. The director district includes the Maquoketa Valley and West Delaware Community School Districts, and a portion of the Western Dubuque Community School District. 

Jean McDonald, of Dubuque, was re-elected to represent Director District 8 which covers a portion of the Dubuque Community School District. McDonald will begin her second term. 

Cynthia Steffens of Peosta was elected as the director in Director District 9, also covering a portion of the Dubuque Community School District. 

Learn more about Keystone AEA and the services provided to children, families and schools at www.keystoneaea.org.

ELKADER, IOWA - SEPTEMBER 6, 2023 

Elections for five members of the Board of Directors of the Keystone Area Education Agency will be conducted in November.

Director District 2 includes the Central, Postville, and South Winneshiek Community School Districts, and a portion of the Decorah Community School District: all precincts and wards in the City of Decorah, the Decorah township in Supervisor District 4 and the townships of Bloomfield, Canoe, Frankville, Glenwood, Hesper, Highland, Military, Pleasant, and Springfield in Winneshiek county. 

Director District 4 includes the North Fayette Valley, Oelwein, Starmont and West Central Community School Districts.

Director District 5 includes the Maquoketa Valley and West Delaware Community School Districts as well as the Delaware county area and Dubuque County precincts 24, 25, 26, 27 (Dyersville), 28 (Dyersville) of the Western Dubuque Community School District.

Director District 8 includes the Dubuque County precincts 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 in the Dubuque Community School District. 

Director District 9 includes the Dubuque County precincts 3, 4, 5, 6, 21, 22, 23 in the Dubuque Community School District. 

Current directors are Michael Haluska of Decorah in Director District 2; Sue Updegraff of West Union in Director District 4; Kelly Jared of Manchester in Director District 5; Jean McDonald of Dubuque in Director District 8; and George Holland of Dubuque in Director District 9.  

These positions are for four-year terms that will expire in December 2027.

The elections are conducted in accordance with Section 273 of the Code of Iowa. Nominations may be submitted by filing a Statement of Candidacy form with the board secretary of the Keystone AEA on or before October 15, 2023. If no candidate files by the deadline, a convention will be scheduled with prior notice given, and persons may file for candidacy or be nominated at the convention. Each board of education within the director district may cast a vote, weighted according to the school district’s population, for the election of a member to the Agency's Board of Directors. 

Statement of Candidacy forms may be obtained by contacting Julie Tschirgi, Keystone AEA Board Secretary, in Elkader at 563-245-1480. 

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