BVU, Cherokee Schools Connect Through Strategic Partnership
Strategic Partnership allows for employees of the Cherokee schools, as well as eligible family members, to receive grant funding to lower the overall cost of education while enrolled in classes at BVU's Storm Lake campus, and more.
Buena Vista University (BVU) and the Cherokee Community School District have joined forces as Strategic Partners to help strengthen their schools, communities, and those they serve.
This partnership allows for employees of the Cherokee schools, as well as eligible family members of full-time employees, to receive grant funding to lower the overall cost of education while enrolled in classes at BVU’s Storm Lake campus. Partner grant funding also lowers the cost per credit hour for students enrolled in BVU’s convenient online/hybrid undergraduate programs or the organizational leadership graduate program.
BVU professors and staff are available for training programs, workshops, and more should officials at Cherokee seek those services and expertise.
“This unique partnership with Buena Vista University offers additional paths forward in education and self-improvement for members of our staff and their families.”
Cherokee Superintendent of Schools Kimberly Lingenfelter
“This unique partnership with Buena Vista University offers additional paths forward in education and self-improvement for members of our staff and their families,” says Cherokee Superintendent of Schools Kimberly Lingenfelter. “Our dedicated employees may now enjoy additional opportunities for personal and professional growth while serving others even better.”
The Cherokee Community School District, located in Cherokee, provides educational programs for 1,200 students of Cherokee. Some 38 staff members serve Washington High School in Cherokee, while 29 serve the middle school and 55 are employed at the elementary schools. The district’s mission focuses on the community, noting: “With community involvement, we will empower learners to become contributing members in our changing world.”
“BVU was instrumental in my development as a classroom teacher and administrator,” says Brian Christiansen, an Elementary Principal in the Cherokee Community School District and a 2013 BVU graduate. “I was extremely fortunate to work with dedicated professors that supported and challenged my thinking both in the classroom and outside the classroom. BVU provides teacher preparation students a wide range of classroom observation opportunities that help preservice teachers to have the experience and professional relationships to be successful as they enter the education profession.
“I am excited and thankful that my coworkers at Cherokee Community School District will have the opportunity to experience the BVU experience and join the rich network of BVU School of Education alumni,” Christiansen adds.
“Buena Vista University is excited to partner with the Cherokee Community School District as we continue reaching to foster growth among students through our dedicated teachers and staff members as well as those in the community, and via programs such as BVU’s Strategic Partnership,” says BVU Director of Strategic Partnerships Laura Todd. “We are proud to have a partner in the Cherokee schools as we all aim to strengthen our communities, the state of Iowa, and points beyond.”
For more information about BVU’s Strategic Partnerships and partner opportunities, please visit the BVU website at bvu.edu/strategic-partnerships or contact Strategic Partnerships at StrategicPartnerships@bvu.edu.