BVU, Spirit Lake Schools Link Via Strategic Partnership
Collaboration with Buena Vista University broadens educational benefits for Spirit Lake Community School District employees and their eligible family members.
Buena Vista University (BVU) and the Spirit Lake Community School District have entered a Strategic Partnership that helps to support those who educate students while strengthening the fabric of both organizations’ communities and the people they serve.
This partnership allows for employees of the Spirit Lake Community School District, as well as eligible family members of full-time employees, to receive grant funding to lower the overall cost per credit hour while enrolled in BVU’s convenient online undergraduate programs or the organizational leadership graduate program. Partner grant funding also lowers the cost of education for students enrolled in classes at BVU’s Storm Lake campus.
“I had a great educational experience at BVU—they do a really great job of preparing educators, so it’s easy for me to push their programs. Anything we can do for our employees is appreciated, and this is another opportunity for us to give something to them, be it in the form of a tuition discount.”
Spirit Lake Community School District Director of District Office Special Projects/Business Partnerships Coordinator Angela Olsen '95
“We’re currently experiencing a shortage of educators across the state, so this Strategic Partnership seems like a great way to help our paraeducators or students operating as paraeducators offset the cost of a bachelor’s degree, making it a little bit more reasonable for them,” says Spirit Lake Community School District Director of District Office Special Projects/Business Partnerships Coordinator Angela Olsen, a BVU alumnus. “I had a great educational experience at BVU—they do a really great job of preparing educators, so it’s easy for me to push their programs. Anything we can do for our employees is appreciated, and this is another opportunity for us to give something to them, be it in the form of a tuition discount.”
The Spirit Lake Community School District serves more than 1,300 students in grades PK-12 with a dedicated team of about 200 staff members across its elementary, middle, and high school, all situated on a single campus in Spirit Lake. With a strong focus on innovation, the school district prepares students for success by emphasizing academic excellence and essential skill development. Bolstered by exceptional community support, the Spirit Lake Community School District is committed to ensuring that every student learns, grows, and becomes a responsible citizen.
“For me, BVU was an awesome choice based on its location and size, and I would choose it again,” says Olsen ’95. “I didn’t want to go to a huge university; I wanted to go somewhere that was personal and professors would know my name and support me outside of class. I ended up having great relationships with my professors, and I even had some at my wedding. That experience meant the world to me. I knew I needed to be somewhere that cared about me not just as a number, and BVU was everything I could have asked for and more; I got that feeling the first time I was on campus.”
“We are thrilled to embark on this new collaboration with the Spirit Lake Community School District,” says BVU Director of Strategic Partnerships Laura Todd. “By providing tuition discounts to full-time employees and their eligible family members, we’re not only investing in their professional development but also in the future of our communities. This Strategic Partnership exemplifies BVU’s commitment to making higher education accessible and supporting the educators who shape the minds of tomorrow.”
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.