The department’s director used the June board meeting to brief the State Board on a range of program updates, grants and partnerships intended to expand educational opportunities across Iowa.

Highlights and why they matter

- Education license plate design: The department announced 16‑year‑old Erin Cho’s winning design for the Iowa education license plate. Proceeds from the plate will support districts with the highest per‑pupil transportation costs, a significant benefit for many rural districts.

- National Math Stars partnership: The department will partner with National Math Stars to provide individualized, long‑term support to mathematically exceptional students identified in third grade; the program provides mentoring, pathway counseling and other supports over multiple years.

- Google career certificates and AI essentials: The department is partnering with Google to offer free access for students, educators and community college faculty to Google career certificates (cybersecurity, data analytics, IT support, project management, digital marketing, e‑commerce and UX design) and Google’s AI essentials course; certificates can be completed in three to six months.

- Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant: The department closed applications for a CLSD subgrant competition totaling $24 million, including $4 million in planning subgrants and the possibility of up to $5 million annually in implementation grants over four years; the program supports evidence‑based reading instruction and statewide literacy initiatives.

- Continuum of Care grant: The department announced a first‑of‑its‑kind continuum of care application open through next Wednesday; the grant is funded with state‑directed federal Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funds and is intended to expand full‑day preschool and child care partnerships for working families.

- Credentials to Careers grants and industry‑recognized credentials (IRCs): The department launched another round of Credentials to Careers grants to support student attainment of industry‑recognized credentials and noted last year the department prioritized more than $2.5 million in state‑directed funds to 36 districts.

Context and next steps

Most initiatives described are grant‑ or partnership‑based and require local application or implementation. The department said it will publish legislative summaries for districts later this summer and will continue briefing the board as programs move from planning to implementation.