There is a lot of exciting news for the Regional Office of Education #26 (ROE26) and the students they serve, with the recent announcements that their office is the recipient of multiple grants. Overall, ROE26 will receive over $630,000 from three different grant awards to better serve the schools and students in their region.
“I am proud of our team,” said ROE26 Regional Superintendent John Meixner. “These recent awards highlight the hard work and creativity of our staff. These awards are proof of their excellence and show their tenacity to get the most resources possible for the students and school districts we serve.”
The Pella Rollscreen Foundation provides grants and invests in youth education. They have awarded ROE26 a $10,000 grant to complete a Teenage Resource Closet. Mandy Kreps, Director of Family Support Services and School Attendance emphasized the need for this investment. “At ROE26, we provide alternative education programs for students who, for a variety of reasons, cannot continue to school in their home district. Our staff often notice that these students are in need of basic items such as hygiene products, winter clothing, and healthy snacks. With this grant funding, we will be able to establish a resource closet to meet some of the needs of our students and allow them to focus on their learning,” Kreps said.
Parents as Teachers, which is the nation’s premier home-visiting program, announced that ROE26 received their 2024 Challenge Grant for $25,000 for Program Quality and Improvement. This Grant comes after the program at ROE26 was recognized in 2023 as a prestigious Blue Ribbon Affiliate. This grant will fund tuition and expenses for Early Beginnings Program Director Christine Nicholson to attend the Erikson Infant Mental Health Certificate Program. This program will provide best practices on how to better support infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families and support their social, emotional, and relational development.
“Becoming certified in Infant and Early Childhood mental health has been a long-time goal of mine. When Parents as Teachers provided an opportunity to write for their Challenge Grant to improve program quality it felt like stars aligning. I am excited to be able to attain this program quality standard as well as better support the families we serve,” Nicholson said.
Finally, Representative Eric Sorenson’s office announced that ROE26 is the recipient of a $602,799 grant from the USDA to strengthen distance learning services in rural communities. "Our office is always looking for better ways to serve the schools and students in our area. This funding provides our office and the schools we serve with another tool to combat the ever-growing teacher shortage. We will also be able to harness these dollars to expand our remote counseling services and our professional development training for school personnel," Meixner said.