UNI’s Institute for Decision Making and GeoTREE support expansion of high-quality career and technical education
The Institute for Decision Making (IDM), GeoInformatics Training Research Education and Extension (GeoTREE) Center and the College of Education’s Educational Leadership and Postsecondary Education programs at University of Northern Iowa have developed a Regional Center Location Study and web mapping application. In support of the Iowa Department of Education, the study and application shows Regional Planning Partnerships (RPPs), school districts, community colleges and their partners what a strategically designed network of regional center facilities could look like within their region as well as statewide. Iowa’s 15 RPPs were established to assist school districts in providing an effective, efficient and economical means of delivering high-quality secondary career and technical education programs. The RPP members include representatives from school districts, community colleges, area education agencies and businesses and industry.
The study was designed as a tool for the RPPs as they assist school districts in providing high-quality career and technical education (CTE) programming for all Iowa students. CTE programming through concurrent enrollment opportunities gives students a leg-up in determining their career interests, while saving time and money toward a degree or certification. Together, the study and mapping application help the RPPs identify potential partners, current known programming at existing centers, drive-times from each high school and enrollment projections so that they can ensure that all Iowa high school students have access to CTE programming, preferably through an effective Regional Center.
As presentations are being made to the RPPs across the state by the UNI team, the local partners are engaging in discussions to consider what they can do in their regions to ensure their high schoolers have reasonable access to CTE programming. “We are proud to support the state of Iowa’s goal of ensuring that every student in the state of Iowa has convenient access to a regional center facility in order to access high-quality CTE programming,” said Drew Conrad, director of IDM.
IDM is the economic and community development outreach unit of Business & Community Services at UNI, and has over three decades of experience delivering tailored and innovative planning, technical assistance, applied research and training to over 850 communities and organizations in Iowa and beyond. GeoTREE, located within UNI’s Geography Department, supports the effective use of geospatial technologies by organizations and communities.