"We serve citizens of the state with educational programs that are really meant to enhance their lives," the School of Education associate professor said. "We wanted to focus on employed individuals who had the ability to pay for skill development." With help from two rounds of funding through the strategic plan, a two-year effort is leading to new learning opportunities for Iowans. The proposal, which aligns with the strategic plan's statement to be a university that fosters lifelong learning, received $434,187 in 2024 and $365,922 in 2025 to develop the program and help extension learn more about Iowans' needs. The courses -- developed in part through statewide surveying -- are available through the Extension Store and completed at the learner's pace. Each course -- which is two to three hours -- was designed and vetted through a series of steps to ensure quality while offering learners numerous interactive elements.
