IOWA FALLS – Iowa Valley Community College District has been awarded $1,000,000 from the Career Academy Incentive Fund (CAIF). The funding will be used to establish a new Regional Center at Ellsworth Community College, offering career academies in Construction, Agriculture, Business Administration, and Welding.

The grant will directly support the college's partnership with four area school districts; Iowa Falls-Alden, South Hardin, AGWSR, and BCLUW. It aims to expand access to career academy programs, allowing students to gain hands-on experience while earning college credit and industry credentials.

With the funding, Ellsworth plans to renovate the Trades and Industries building on campus. The renovations will modernize classrooms and add industry-standard equipment, while also redesigning a portion of the building to create dedicated space for construction courses. The project will also expand the building itself to accommodate further opportunities. Students will be able to take hands-on courses in their chosen field while also completing business administration coursework.

"The Regional Center will provide us with the resources necessary to expand educational opportunities for students in our area," said Ellsworth Provost, Dr. Barb Klein. "We are committed to bringing opportunities to area students while fostering a strong partnership with our area school districts. This will not only impact our students, but also our communities, as it will create another talent pool for local and area businesses."

IVCCD was awarded a $1 million CAIF grant for its Grinnell automobile tech lab in 2024.

"We are grateful to receive the CAIF grant because we have seen firsthand how transformative these funds can be," said IVCCD President, Dr. Anne Howsare Boyens. "This investment strengthens our ability to prepare workforce-ready students who will contribute to Iowa’s economy from day one."

CAIF is a competitive state grant program administered by the Iowa Department of Education and funded through Iowa's SAVE Act penny sales tax for school infrastructure. The Department awards up to $5 million annually to support career academy partnerships between school districts and community colleges statewide.

Ellsworth is one of two colleges to receive grant money through the CAIF. Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs is also a recipient. Between the two colleges, the Regional Centers will provide students with access to 11 career academy programs.