116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Communities receive Empower Rural Iowa grants
Projects range from teacher recruitment incentives to leadership programs
A number of Eastern Iowa communities were among the recipients of $400,000 in grants that were awarded to more than two dozen projects statewide by Iowa the Economic Development Authority on Friday.
“The Rural Innovation Grant program and the Rural Housing Assessment Grant program help turn innovative ideas into reality for so many small communities across Iowa, paving the way for opportunity and prosperity for generations to come,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a news release.
The two programs, part of the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative, were started in 2019 for communities with fewer than 20,000 people.
Among the 26 communities that received grants were:
- Allamakee, Clayton, Delaware and Jones counties — development of reverse scholarship programs for attracting teachers, through the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque — funding amount, $20,000, to be divided among these four Eastern Iowa counties plus three additional counties; total project cost, $60,000
- Lansing — co-working and innovation lab, Including a community kitchen, through Driftless Wellness — funding amount, $15,000; total project cost, $65,000
- Grinnell — renovation of Veteran's Memorial into an artist residency, community space and memorial, through the Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation — funding amount, $20,000; total project cost, $1,900,000
- Tama — year-long leadership development program in Latino communities, through the not-for-profit Al Exito — funding amount, $20,000, to be divided among Tama and two other cities; total project cost, $30,000
- New Albin — enhancement of its community park, through the New Albin Improvement League — funding amount, $10,000; total project cost, $329,695
- Postville — Heart and Soul planning effort, through the city — funding amount, $20,000; total project cost, $30,000
- Elma — development of community complex that would include child care, health facilities, public library and city offices, through the Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission — funding amount, $20,000; total project cost $1,161,665.
Postville was among the communities to receive grants Friday as part of the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
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