Ireton Community Foundation Supports Career and College Readiness

ORANGE CITY, IOWA (April 20, 2015) — The Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) is pleased to announce it has received a grant from the Ireton Community Foundation to support college and career readiness programming as part of its West Sioux High School Career and College Access Initiative.

The mission of the Ireton Community Foundation is to fulfill community needs, impact future growth and development of Ireton and enhance the quality of life by providing leadership, creating opportunities, and challenging the community to share time, talent and resources.

In its first year, the West Sioux High School Career and College Readiness Initiative will bring college planning and financial aid information and resources into the Hawarden community to inform high school students and parents of the steps required to achieve their educational goals. With services provided through ICAN, the initiative will serve approximately 500 individuals including: students, parents, and educators through a partnership with West Sioux High School.

“ICAN programs are unique in the respect that they are brought into individual communities and provide face-to-face presentations and one-on-one advice to students in the communities in which they reside,” explained Rob Miller, ICAN executive director. “This grant enables that interaction to happen without requiring families to travel for professional advice. For some families traveling for assistance isn’t possible and the community foundation grant allows ICAN to continue serving these families where they live.”

In an effort to empower students with the understanding that higher education is accessible to everyone, the West Sioux High School Initiative is part of a wider effort by ICAN to reach every middle- and high school and every student in Iowa to better prepare students for college and the workforce. According to Complete College America, more than 60 percent of Iowa jobs will require a college education by 2020.

“Education and training beyond high school is necessity for long-term success in the ever-changing job market,” explained Miller. “This grant enables ICAN to continue meeting the needs of Iowa students.”

ICAN, a nonprofit organization providing career and college readiness planning to students and parents in Iowa, has been educating and empowering Iowa’s future workforce since 1998.

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About ICAN
The Iowa College Access Network is a nonprofit, educational organization. ICAN is the College Access Network for Iowa, and a member of the National College Access Network (NCAN). ICAN has eight locations in Ankeny, Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Orange City, Ottumwa, Sioux City and Waterloo, which provide information and support to students and their families as they plan their postsecondary education and apply for financial aid. All ICAN programs and services are provided without charge. For more information about ICAN, call (877) 272-4692 or visit www.ICANsucceed.org

About the Ireton Community Foundation
With a vision for the future, Erlene Kading wanted to ensure that charitable programs in the community were supported now and in the future. In 1998, she planted the first seeds of giving through a gift from her estate to establish an endowment within the Siouxland Community Foundation for the exclusive benefit of the Ireton community. The Ireton Community Foundation now serves as a vehicle to receive gifts from individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to establish endowment funds that will provide grant awards for years to come. All gifts received are carefully invested and the income from endowments is used to make grants to public charities that best meet the needs in Ireton. An advisory board appointed by position is responsible for governing the Foundation.