Union Schools Awarded State BELIEF Grant

Union Community School District was awarded a $10,000 BELIEF (Blended Early Learning in Educational Foundations) grant, to collaborate with the Little Knights Learning Center and Daycare in Dysart. There were 16 districts in Iowa awarded the competitive planning grants to explore the development of blending child care and quality early learning programs.

The purpose of the grant is to introduce children to innovative early learning opportunities. Locally, the grant will be used to provide Little Knight Learning Center with various curriculum that aligns and matches to the current preschool and kindergarten curriculums at Union Schools. Strong STEM literacy and math resources will be purchased for both the school district and daycare.

The BELIEF Grants are supported by the Iowa Department of Education’s portion of funds received through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021’s Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER III or ARP ESSER). State education agencies were granted a share of the discretionary dollars to address critical needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In determining awards, priority consideration was given to applicant districts that provided clear evidence to plan and partner with one or more private partners on a model tailored to meet the needs of their communities and youngest learners. Governor Reynolds visited the Little Knights Learning Center in late January to see firsthand the results of the school and community efforts in bringing the daycare and preschool together to meet the needs of the residents.