Theisen's Provides Grant for ICAN College Access Initiative in Charles City
ICAN Awarded Grant for College Access Initiative
Theisen’s Supports Career and College Readiness
WATERLOO, IOWA (December 2, 2015) — The Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) is pleased to announce it has received a grant from the Theisen’s More for Your Community Grant to support college and career readiness in Charles City and the surrounding communities.
The Theisen’s More for Your Community Grant is a corporate grant program that annually provides awards to all 20 Theisen’s store communities. The program grants to agencies to jumpstart and/or sustain projects that most effectively serve the basic needs of families and children, which includes food, shelter, education, safety and health. The program is made possible through a partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque.
Announcing the grant, company President Jim Theisen said, “We are excited to grow out More for Your Community Grant program again this year. It is our honor to help nonprofits and their volunteers meet the most important needs of children and families. We are so proud to be a charitable partner in your community.”
This grant will help bring college and career planning and financial aid information and resources into Charles City and surrounding communities to inform high school students and parents of the steps required to achieve their educational goals.
“ICAN is unique in the respect that in addition to our regional offices which provide tailored planning advice for students and families, we are also able to travel to 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. “For certain communities that ICAN serves, traveling for assistance to an ICAN office isn’t possible. This grant enables that interaction to happen without requiring families to travel for professional advice and 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 Theisen’s grant program 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 a 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/Hiawatha, Council Bluffs, Davenport, 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 Theisen’s More for Your Community Grant
In its sixth year of helping Iowans, the Theisen’s More for Your Community Grant program announced $203,588 in awards to 143 agencies serving children and their families. The Theisen’s More for Your Community Grant Program is made possible through a corporate philanthropic partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. The Theisen family, which includes Jim and his sons Chris and Tony, take an active role in evaluating the many applications annually and also makes site visits every year to learn about community needs and also meet the nonprofit leaders who are on the front line of serving our children and families.