K-12 Education

Creating Cedar Valley Leaders Of Tomorrow, Today

Education is a top priority in the Cedar Valley. School districts have made substantial investments in new state-of-the-art buildings, access to technology, and established critical business partnerships – preparing students for higher education and employment with an emphasis on real word training and the development of soft skills.

K-12 Career Programming

Cedar Valley is home to several career and technical educational programs in regional high schools.

Cedar Valley CAPS

CAPS is the Center for Advanced Professional Studies. It is an Innovative High School Elective Course that takes students outside of the traditional classroom for half the day, each day for an entire semester.

They are immersed in professional environments to develop problem-solving and professional skills to work on projects for real business clients.

Learn more about Cedar Valley CAPS.

Iowa BIG North

Iowa BIG North provides students the opportunity to engage in in-depth and more sustained projects in professional business, community, and/or government settings. Students will engage in pursuing answers to professional problems and projects while being immersed in a professional work environment. Development of 21st century and employability skills will be a strong focus of this program.

This model is competency-based, meaning students will be expected to demonstrate their understanding of the standards and content of the course in contextual performances for authentic audiences. Students complete the course when they have adequately demonstrated their competence in the identified standards.

Leader Valley

Leader Valley is a local nonprofit that works directly with Cedar Valley students to teach essential leadership skills for success in school and after graduation.

In cooperation with local businesses, Leader Valley provides financial and administrative support to The Leader in Me® schools in six school systems.

The Leader in Me is a FranklinCovey’s whole-school transformation process designed to teach leadership and life skills.

Learn more about Leader Valley.

Waterloo Career Center

The Waterloo Career Center is an opportunity for Waterloo, Iowa high school students and some surrounding schools, to explore 14 different career programs. Students will experience a competitive advantage and hopefully discover their passion.
Learn more about the Waterloo Career Center.

Did you know the Cedar Valley is 13.3% more affordable than the national average?!