Innovative Education

AWARD-WINNING PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

HERE, IT'S REAL.

Magnet Schools

Cedar Rapids is home to specialized public schools called Magnet Schools that give parents a choice in the type of education they want for their children.

Career Academies

Kirkwood Community College Career Academies allow students to earn college credit while in high school. These courses provide hands-on experience and the chance to explore careers.

Iowa Big

Iowa Big helps students become Makers, Designers, Social Entrepreneurs, and Storytellers by creating curriculum with business, nonprofits, and government agencies.

Belin-Blank Center

The University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center empowers and serves the international gifted community through exemplary leadership in programs, research, and advocacy.

Educating for the future

For decades, Iowa has been recognized as one of the best states in the nation for public education. We are extremely fortunate to have that foundation here in ICR, but we have gone way past the traditional for our students.

Project-based learning programs like Iowa BIG and CASL allow ICR middle and high school students to learn core subjects while working on employer-initiated projects. The University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center offers special programming for gifted and talented students while NewBoCo and Kirkwood Kick Camps provide robotics and coding enrichment. Young entrepreneurs will enjoy the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center summer camps, while future writers take advantage of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop youth programs. Middle and high school students throughout ICR have the opportunity to explore careers through job shadow or internship experiences with the Workplace Learning Connection and Kirkwood Career Academies provide early college opportunities for high school juniors and seniors.

Adults can experience a wide-variety of continuing education courses and life-long learning activities through Kirkwood Community College, the University of Iowa, Coe College, Cornell College, and Mt. Mercy University. NewBoCo also offers DeltaV coding school for adults interested in kick-starting a new software development career in a few short months.