Our Mission 

To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.

Our Goals

• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success

Iowa School PR Association Offers Virtual Conference - Great Learning Opportunity for Administrators

The Iowa School PR Association (ISPRA) is hosting a fall virtual conference Oct. 28–30. Speakers are spread out over three days, with recordings available to attendees following the event. Topics include new challenges like communicating with stressed audiences and de-stressing professionally. 

1. Superintendents who do not have a communications team may find value in this conference. 
2. Superintendents who do have communication teams may want to attend alongside their PR pros. 

Learn more about the ISPRA 2020 Virtual Fall Conference.

The Des Moines Art Center is Bringing the Museum to Your Classroom

In looking for ways to support your work, adapting to needs and challenges that this year has presented, the Des Moines Art Center has new educational resources to utilize in your classrooms and learning environments. Please help us spread the word about these resources with your colleagues and anyone else that may have interest.

Creative Connections
PDF step-by-step explorations of artwork in the Des Moines Art Center’s collection. All lessons are designed around one work of art and an accompanying theme with prompts, questions, activities and related links for further learning. These activities help to build critical thinking, cultural awareness, empathy, and a connection to artwork and the human spirit!

Virtual Viewing
Practice the art of slow looking with your students with these two-to-five minute videos focusing on a wonderful artwork in the Des Moines Art Center's collection and narrated by an Art Center Docent. Looking closely, students see, learn, and think about artwork, artists, and how it all applies to their own lives.

We are working on additional resources and programming (including virtual tours) to be released in the coming months. Please help us understand what further resources/opportunities would be most helpful for your instruction by taking this five question survey.

We hope these resources will help you find creative ways to bring the museum into your teaching this year!