The Iowa West Foundation recently awarded $4.4 million in grant and initiative funding.
Pete Tulipana, President and CEO of the Iowa West Foundation, says the Council Bluffs Community Schools received over $400,000 for the STARS post-secondary program. He says this program helps adult students with children, who can receive scholarship money for everyday needs such as auto repair, child care, gas cards and internet bills – with the goal of making it easier for them to attend classes.
“We’re very excited about the research that’s been done on the impact of this program and are happy to be continuing to fund this. Because the opportunities that it creates, in combination with PELL Grants, are wonderful, life-changing opportunities for the adults with children, many of whom are trying to increase their ability to earn living wages for their families through additional education.”
Additionally, Tulipana says the city of Council Bluffs received $2 million toward a parking garage on the Iowa side of the Missouri Riverfront as well as $25,000 for holiday lights in Bayliss Park.
And two rural Southwest Iowa volunteer fire departments received money for firefighting equipment.
For more information and a complete list of grant recipients, the website is IowaWestFoundation.org