June 14 marks the annual celebration of Flag Day, which commemorates the adoption of the United States flag in 1777.

Need help getting ready for college or a postsecondary program—either for yourself or a student you know? Sign up for Virtual College Coaching to receive helpful text messages about college prep. Get answers to your questions on postsecondary education, financial aid, scholarships, and more. #PostsecondaryPathwaysIA tinyurl.com/mrrr8c2

Want a career that makes an impact? Apply for one of our open job positions at the Iowa Department of Education. As a part of our dedicated team, you have an opportunity to make a difference within Iowa schools and communities. Visit the State of Iowa’s website to find current openings, job descriptions and information on how to apply. We look forward to hearing from you! tinyurl.com/2cadvrnf

Discover the many free professional development sessions offered by the Department this summer. Topics include engagement, classroom management, support for English learners, computer science, nutrition and safety training. educate.iowa.gov/media/12788… #ElevateEducatorsIA

The @IowaSTEM Advisory Council is looking for STEM stakeholders to share what’s working in their classrooms and communities to turn bold ideas into action as presenters and panelists at the 2026 Iowa STEM Summit. Submit your proposal today and help create innovation in STEM in Iowa! bit.ly/4djUX8v #WhereBoldIdeasTakeFlight

Iowa school districts are encouraged to apply now for the Work-Based Learning Endorsement Leadership and Investment for the Field (WBL-LIFT) grant. This competitive grant helps schools bolster their pipeline of career and technical education instructors. School districts can use the grant funds to support professional development and credentialing to build sustainable recruitment and retention strategies by expanding access to WBL professional development and credentialing pathways. educate.iowa.gov/headline-st…

Here's an exciting opportunity for students in grades 6-12 to design, build and launch an experiment on a NASA-sponsored test flight! The NASA TechRise Student Challenge encourages teams or students to submit their creative ideas for a chance to win $1,500 and receive expert technical advice from NASA TechRise advisors to bring their project to life. Sixty winning teams will be selected for this hands-on challenge that helps students to deepen their understanding of flight vehicles, tackle real-world engineering problems and enjoy a virtual field trip. Applications open in September, but educators can pre-register now at futureengineers.org/nasatech…

Monday is the deadline to apply for the next round of College and Career Transition Counselor Grants. These positions work directly through community colleges and local high schools to support students as they transition to postsecondary education and careers by making targeted connections with students and families at crucial points in the college-going process. bit.ly/3RCT9A3

Are you looking to strengthen content knowledge and teaching practices in social studies? Check out the America250 webinar recordings with lessons on revolutionary Iowans, civil discourse, constitutional principles and more. bit.ly/4dgaWW0

Congratulations to Waukee Community School District’s Mary Elouise Bowman! She was selected as a first-place winner of America’s Field Trip, an education program of America250, for her outstanding poem reflecting on what America means to her. As a first-place winner, Mary Elouise will embark on a once-in-a-lifetime field trip to Washington, D.C., this summer. bit.ly/3S2PSKA

ICYMI: LETRS professional learning opportunities help Iowa school districts strengthen literacy instruction through the Science of Reading. Learn about how one Iowa school district has used these trainings to integrate their teaching with evidence-based strategies. educate.iowa.gov/headline-st…

Educators - make plans to attend this summer’s Every Learner Forward, a three-day professional learning opportunity focused on enhancing high-quality instruction in every classroom. Set for July 7-9 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Every Learner Forward will provide teachers with strategies and best practices that can impact student achievement and overall success. bit.ly/4w1d8Iq #ElevateEducatorsIA #BridgingTheGapIA

Good luck to North Mahaska High School student Cayden Plate! He is one of 20 students who are competing in Washington, D.C. today for the Presidential 1776 Award, a nationwide contest recognizing outstanding knowledge of the American founding. bit.ly/4vihV7L

Last week, the 2026 Iowa Higher Education Literacy Summit: Advancing the Science of Reading in Educator Preparation brought together higher education faculty and educator preparation program staff from across Iowa for an immersive, two days of professional learning at the University of Northern Iowa. Sponsored by the Department, this train-the-trainer event featured keynote presentations from Stephanie Stollar and Nina Lorimor-Easely as well as learning sessions from Molly Ness, the @uiowa, Amplify and the Department’s K-12 literacy team. Attendees had many opportunities to learn evidence-based practices and Science of Reading principles, share resources and foster collaboration, strengthening consistency across institutions. Division Administrator of Teacher Quality and Innovation Jay Pennington and members of the Department’s educator preparation team also provided information and support during the summit. #LiteracyChangesLivesIA #ElevateEducatorsIA

The endorsement portion of the Computer Science Professional Development Incentive Fund is now open for applications. This grant will reimburse districts for the cost associated with a teacher completing the coursework for a computer science endorsement or a CTE-IT endorsement. More information on the Computer Science Professional Development Incentive Fund is available here: bit.ly/4nYvl5Q

Summer break is a great time to participate in the Department-sponsored Build Math Minds – The Flexibility Formula. This asynchronous, evidence-based professional learning opportunity allows educators to delve deeper into mathematical concepts that help students develop an overall strong number sense. #ElevateEducatorsIA #MathCountsIA bit.ly/4xer7v9

Applications for the next round of College and Career Transition Counselor Grants are open until June 15. These positions work directly through community colleges and local high schools to support the transition to postsecondary education and careers by making targeted connections with students and families at crucial points in the college-going process. bit.ly/3RCT9A3 #PostsecondaryPathwaysIA

Today, the Department announced more than 530 sites across Iowa are serving free, nutritious meals and snacks to children through the Seamless Summer Option and Summer Food Service Program, known together as SUN Meals to maintain children’s access to healthy meals during out-of-school months. Families can find their local summer meal site by phone or text. Phone: 2-1-1 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479), English 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273), Spanish Text: Text “Summer Meals” to 914-342-7744 educate.iowa.gov/press-relea…

Educators - make plans to attend this summer’s Every Learner Forward, a three-day professional learning opportunity focused on enhancing high-quality instruction in every classroom. Set for July 7-9 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Every Learner Forward will provide teachers with strategies and best practices that can impact student achievement and overall success. bit.ly/4w1d8Iq #ElevateEducatorsIA #BridgingTheGapIA