Education in Iowa: Van Meter Vision & EDGE Pledge
Opportunities for Students in Community School District
The Van Meter Community School District (CSD) mission is to personalize learning for each student’s success today, and tomorrow. The district strives to create a learning environment that helps develop college, career and global-ready graduates. By emphasizing life ready skills as much as academic skills and through quality partnerships with neighboring districts and DMACC, Van Meter CSD has been able to give students in grades K-12 opportunities to collaborate, communicate, create, solve complex problems and preserve and think globally.
Van Meter CSD’s vision for developing college, career and life ready students is grounded in its unique K-12 building which allows the district to provide a flexible learning environment and multiple learning opportunities for kids of all ages and grades all out of the same building. It’s not unusual to see our youngest students working with high schoolers on projects designed to get kids thinking at the highest levels and to help them see all of the wonderful opportunities available to them in a variety of careers.
Because Van Meter is a small district (870 students), it must partner with other schools to provide learning opportunities it couldn’t provide on its own. Our kids have access to programs through APEX in the Waukee CSD, Madison County Academy in the Winterset CSD, Earlham CSD’s Ag program, Central Academy and Central Campus in the Des Moines Public Schools, as well as a plethora of programs and courses through DMACC Online, DMACC West and DMACC’s Ankeny Campus. In many ways, our kids have more opportunities than students from other schools because of our willingness to partner with anyone who can provide learning experiences that we are not able to do on our own.
DSM Provides Learning Experience
As Governor Reynolds’ Future Ready Iowa Initiative has pushed Iowa communities to provide more work-based learning opportunities, Van Meter Schools has taken the EDGE pledge of helping get 75% of Greater Des Moines (DSM) working-aged adults certified or with a degree by 2025. We are committed to providing the type of learning experience in grades K-12 that engage students in the type of project-based and collaborative work needed for tomorrow’s workforce. The Greater Des Moines Partnership has assisted us in making connections with employers to help provide opportunities for our students to experience a variety of careers while still in high school.
Our district has grown in enrollment almost 30% over the last 10 years, and Van Meter’s vision for the future is to continue to provide personalized learning experiences in a K-12 setting that focus on project-based and authentic learning experiences for all students. We want to develop global-ready graduates who have strong academic skills and the habits of success needed to thrive in this ever-changing world. We welcome visitors to our wonderful school. Feel free to contact usif you’d like to learn more about the opportunities available to kids in Van Meter CSD.
Find more information on the Van Meter CSD, and sign up to take the EDGE Pledge today!
Education Drives our Greater Economy (EDGE) aims to ensure that 75% of DSM working-age adults have postsecondary degrees, certificates or other credentials by 2025 that align with workforce needs.