Saved Schools

Iowa BIG

Iowa BIG, nominated by Education Reimagined, is a high school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that describes itself as a public district school serving learners from a primarily urban/rural/suburban area.

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Why Iowa BIG was nominated

Learners at Iowa BIG generate new innovations, solve problems for their neighbors, and think critically about the challenges of their community. Started in 2013, this program coordinates with the area's high schools to have learners split their time between traditional classes and Iowa BIG projects. These projects originate from companies and organizations that have untapped ideas and challenges they can't resource. So, when an Iowa BIG learner takes up the challenge"it's a win-win. When working on their projects, learners come to a co-located space in downtown Cedar Rapids"putting them side by side with local entrepreneurs and million dollar companies. This co-working space has a profound effect on learners. When they're at Iowa BIG, they aren't just students"they're inventors, creators, designers. And they know no limits. Even when they return to their traditional high schools, their work and accomplishments follow them. Iowa BIG is a fully competency-based environment. Learners are tracked standard-by-standard as they move through their projects, ensuring the highest level of mastery. As learners explore the possibilities of their projects, highly qualified staff record experiences and products using proprietary software to ensure progress. Rather than build a pre-fabbed curriculum, at Iowa BIG their community is their curriculum.