post.thumbnail.alt

Prairie Backpack

College Community School District’s “green” approach to distributing information from school sponsored activities and non-profit organizations.

Community Education

Events

  • Stars Like the Sun

    Location
    The Eastern Iowa Observatory and Learning Center, 1365 Ivanhoe Rd, Ely, IA. 52227
    Audience
    K-12
    Cost
    Free
    Organization
    Cedar Amateur Astronomers
    Contact
    Gordon Baustian
    Email
    gordonbaustian@gmail.com
    Phone
    (319) 721-0659

    Information

    Begins at 7:30 PM. We learn in grade school that the stars are other suns, only very far away. Alternatively, the Sun is a star up close, where we can get a good look at it. That raises the question as to whether all stars are assembly-line copies of the Sun, or if there are large differences between them. Astronomy over the past 100 years has shown that stars vary enormously in their basic properties like temperature, mass (how much matter is in them), age, and diameter. Nonetheless, if we put the stars up on a big “plotting board”, we see that they organize themselves in groups. In this talk, I will discuss which group the Sun belongs to, and describe the intriguing quest for a “Solar Twin”. After the talk, if it is clear, we will use the observatory telescopes to look at one or two stars in the sky that are very similar to the Sun”.

  • CoderDojo with PBS Education!

    Location
    Foundation 2 - 1st Floor Training Rooms: 305 2nd Ave SE. Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401.
    Audience
    K-5th graders and families
    Cost
    Free
    RSVP
    Mar 07, 2026
    Organization
    NewBoCo
    Contact
    Ashley Turner
    Email
    ashley@newbo.co
    Phone
    (319) 412-5222

    Information

    CoderDojo is a free, hands-on program designed for kids in kindergarten through 5th grade who are curious about STEM. Children can explore a variety of science, technology, engineering, and math-themed stations at their own pace, with friendly mentors available to help them get started. It’s all about learning through creativity, curiosity, and play. More about CoderDojo.

    This Sessions Special Guest: Iowa PBS Education with Phenomena-driven instruction.
    Phenomena-driven instruction helps students engage in practices to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to explain or predict the phenomena. It’s the phenomenon plus the student-generated questions about the phenomenon that guides the learning and teaching. The practice of asking questions or identifying problems becomes a critical part of trying to figure something out. PBS will students and families through some science – related phenomena!

    Please register for this event so we can adequately prepare.

  • Prairie School Foundation: Dueling for a Cause

    Location
    Olympic South Side Theater
    Cost
    $35/ticket
    Organization
    Prairie School Foundation
    Contact
    Alicia Tjelmeland
    Email
    aliciatjelmeland@crprairie.org
    Phone
    (319) 848-5200

    Information

    Join us for a Tailgate Dinner and cash bar followed with entertainment provided by Dueling Pianos!

  • CoderDojo with Iowa Ceramics Center

    Location
    Foundation 2 - 1st Floor Training Rooms - 305 2nd Ave SE. Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
    Audience
    Elementary students
    Cost
    Free
    RSVP
    Feb 05, 2026
    Organization
    NewBoCo
    Contact
    Ashley Turner
    Email
    ashley@newbo.co
    Phone
    (319) 412-5222

    Information

    CoderDojo is a free, hands-on program designed for kids in kindergarten through 5th grade who are curious about STEM. Join us and the Iowa Ceramics Center for Creative Clay for Kids – 60 minute workshops tailored to the student’s age and interests. Choose from fun, hands-on projects like pinch pot monsters, coil bowls, or mythical creatures—perfect for all skill levels. Not only are we creating art, but also learning about the science of heating clay and the chemical reaction that occurs to harden it.

    Please register for this event so we can adequately prepare. This event is capped at 40 participants.

  • Theatre Cedar Rapids Summer Camps are BACK!

    Organization
    Theatre Cedar Rapids
    Contact
    Mic Evans
    Email
    mic.evans@theatrecr.org
    Phone
    (319) 366-8591

    Information

    TCR Summer Camps are back! There’s something for every student, grades K through 12. Acting, adventures, games, STEAM Week and more!

    All TCR Camps and Classes are on a “Pay What You Can” system. Simply choose the payment option that works best for you at checkout.

  • Teens Go STEM

    Location
    The University of Iowa Medical Education and Research Facility
    Audience
    High schoolers
    Cost
    Free
    Organization
    UI Health Care
    Contact
    Susie Green
    Email
    susgreen@uiowa.edu
    Phone
    (319) 384-5047

    Information

    Teens Go STEM is a free educational program open to students in 9th-12th grades. During the program, students will explore health care careers while engaging with medical and health sciences students and professionals through career focused breakout sessions, tours, and medical simulations. There will also be a focus on health care skills, critical issues impacting Iowa’s health care, health literacy and how to pursue a career in health care. Registered students must be accompanied by an adult. While students are participating in STEM programming, adults will be offered discussions and resource sessions with University of Iowa experts.