The Carroll Community School District (CCSD) will be one of the first in the region to implement courses from Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA) to better prepare students for life in the modern world. High School Principal, Tammie McKenzie, says they were contacted last week by Julia Brunner and John Smith, who expressed interest in bringing the MICA courses to Carroll students.
MICA is a non-profit organization established in 1965 that aims to provide opportunities to children and families affected by poverty. They provide several of Iowa’s well-known assistance programs, including Head Start and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). McKenzie says she immediately thought of ROAR, the district’s alternative learning center, and notes the lessons could be expanded to include a wider range of students at the middle and high schools. After she discussed the issue with administrators and instructors, they determined the program would be beneficial.
Student Support Services Coordinator, Larry Lesle, points out the MICA lessons are very flexible and can fit the needs of a wide variety of students.
Because the program does not require funding from the district, no board action was necessary, but McKenzie wanted to determine if there were any concerns about bringing an outside agency into the classroom. The board had no objections and encouraged administrators at the middle and high schools to move forward with implementing the program. They are optimistic they could have these new lessons in place as soon as the next school year.
