Iowa BIG

Cedar Rapids, IA

Where learning and real life are indistinguishable

Iowa BIG emerged from a city revitalization effort that prompted an assemblage of community members to spend a few days back in high school. Their major insight was that students needed authenticity and opportunities for 21st-century skill development. As a result, two local school districts collaborated in 2013 to launch Iowa BIG, a part-time public school program that partners with local businesses, organizations, and government agencies to offer students real-world learning experiences, all while earning core academic credit.

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What it looks and feels like

Iowa BIG students credit the program with instilling in them self-confidence and optimism for the future. The young people are entrusted with real endeavors for real organizations, and they rise to the occasion. Projects run the gamut, from designing silicone molds of baby arms for nurses practicing IV insertion, to planning an event that draws new audiences to the local speedway. Their homebase is a shared downtown workspace, but students move throughout the community as needed, making Iowa BIG feel more like a dynamic, collegial workplace than a school. Staff mentors guide the students throughout the project process and support them in developing skills and meeting academic standards through their work. Iowa BIG not only equips students with credits for graduation but also a sense of what they’re capable of and the course they want to chart for their futures.

My classroom became the streets of Cedar Rapids, and my educators became everyone I met.
HANNAH BERTRAM, GRADUATE

THE IMPACT

97%

of Iowa BIG’s 12th graders report feeling prepared for their future

1,300

public school students have been served to date

500+

educators from across the country have visited to learn from Iowa BIG

MODEL HIGHLIGHTS

Authentic, community-based learning

Some student projects are conceived of by the partnering organizations and agencies, who pitch their projects to the students, and others begin with students’ own ideas. A dedicated staff member is co-employed by Iowa BIG and the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance to cultivate community partnerships.

Publicly funded option

Iowa BIG is a credit-bearing program for public school students that makes up less than half of a student’s day. It is funded by the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

Rooted in collaboration

Students’ projects are done in multiage teams. Staff serve as coaches, and the more experienced students organically fill a mentoring role. Students regularly communicate and work with community partners, building professional skills and networks.

Explore more

Iowa BIG Website

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Iowa BIG Introduction Video

WATCH HERE