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Prairie Backpack

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

All Ages

Events

  • Clover University Summer Day Camps

    Location
    Johnson County Extension Office (3109 Old Hwy 218 S., Iowa City)
    Audience
    Elementary school students
    Cost
    $33
    Organization
    Johnson County 4-H
    Contact
    Jillian Nafziger
    Email
    jmnaf@iastate.edu
    Phone
    (319) 337-2145

  • The Corridor Jazz Concert

    Location
    Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids
    Audience
    students and families
    Cost
    $15 for adults, students are free!
    RSVP
    Mar 09, 2026
    Organization
    KCCK-FM
    Contact
    Dennis Green
    Email
    dennis.green@kirkwood.edu
    Phone
    (319) 329-2826

    Information

    21 High School Jazz bands (including Prairie Jazz Band one) perform in Iowa’s biggest jazz concert! The Corridor Jazz Concert matches high school bands with top adult players who have a professional recording studio experience and performance on one of the Corridor’s best stages. Eleven bands, including Prairie perform March 9 at the Paramount Theatre. The other ten take the stage March 10 in the Voxman Hall of Music at the University of Iowa.

  • Red Shoe Run & Walk 5K

    Location
    Lower City Park, Iowa CIty
    Audience
    Families and participants of all ages
    Cost
    $20-45
    RSVP
    Apr 01, 2026
    Organization
    Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois
    Contact
    Heather Younker
    Email
    hyounker@rmhc-eiwi.org
    Phone
    (319) 500-7642

    Information

    Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois proudly presents the 42nd Annual Red Shoe Run & Walk 5K!

    This annual event raises critical funds and awareness to support our mission of keeping families close to each other—and close to the care they need—when they need it the most.

    Participants can run, walk, or join virtually, making this a truly family-friendly event open to all ages and ability levels. Strollers and leashed pets are welcome. Race begins and ends at Lower City Park in Iowa City. On-site festivities include pre-race snacks, a kids zone, and awards for top runners across multiple age groups. After the race, stick around and enjoy a FREE lunch on us!

  • MACR Sharks Swim Team — Evaluations for Spring/Summer are Underway

    Location
    Cedar Rapids Metro YMCA, Cedar Rapids, IA
    Audience
    Swimmers ages 6 and over
    Cost
    Varies by practice group
    RSVP
    Apr 06, 2026
    Organization
    Cedar Rapids Metro YMCA
    Contact
    Donald Pirrie
    Email
    iowayswimming@gmail.com
    Phone
    (319) 573-9294

    Information

    Ready to level up your swimming, make new friends, and be part of something bigger?

    The MACR Sharks Spring & Summer Swim Season is the perfect opportunity for swimmers to grow their skills, build confidence, and experience the excitement of competitive swimming in a positive, team-first environment.

    Practices are offered daily at the downtown YMCA for kids ages 6 and over. From novice swimmer to skilled competitor MACR has a practice group for your swimmer!

  • ExploreU

    Location
    Iowa City West High School
    Audience
    Girls completing 6,7 and 8th grade
    Cost
    $120
    Organization
    ExploreU
    Contact
    Elizabeth Kleiman
    Email
    exploreustem@gmail.com
    Phone
    (319) 467-1906

    Information

    ExploreU is a week-long, STEM program for middle school girls completing 6th, 7th and 8th grade, held annually in the summer. The program is designed to help young girls learn math and computer science skills while having fun.

    During the program, students use Scratch software to analyze patterns and learn the fundamentals of programming. This program teaches important mathematical and computational ideas while helping girls to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively.

  • 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!

  • Project Creating Responsive Action Through Empowering Resources and Strategies (CRATERS)

    Location
    University of Iowa's College of Public Health 145 North Riverside Drive Iowa City, IA
    Audience
    middle school and high school students
    RSVP
    Mar 27, 2026
    Organization
    The University of Iowa-College of Public Health
    Contact
    Ebonee Johnson, Ph.D.
    Email
    ebonee-johnson@uiowa.edu
    Phone
    (319) 335-5188

    Information

    Mental Health Training Developed For Teens By Teens

  • Prairie Soccer Club Youth Soccer Spring 2026 League

    Location
    Kirkwood lower soccer field (directly across 76th Ave. from the Kirkwood Hotel).
    Audience
    Kids in grades pre-kindergarten through 6th grade.
    Cost
    $60 for pre-K/Kindergarten and $75 for 1st grade through 4th grade.
    RSVP
    Mar 28, 2026
    Organization
    Prairie Soccer Club
    Contact
    Steven Robertson
    Email
    steven.robertson@psciowa.com
    Phone
    (319) 533-0589

    Information

    Prairie Soccer Club’s Spring 2026 youth soccer league is for kids ages 4-12 that want to learn soccer skills and learn to use those skills in weekly games. The league is for 8 weeks and each week the kids will have a 30-minute soccer skills session followed by a game. The games will be 3v3 or 4v4 based on the ages of the kids. The league begins April 12 and ends June 7.

  • Summer Camp at Camp Bear Creek

    Location
    9106 42nd Ave., Wyoming, IA 52362
    Audience
    Grades K-12
    Cost
    Pricing is based on program selected
    Organization
    Camp Bear Creek
    Contact
    Stacie Hoppman
    Email
    office@bearcreek.camp
    Phone
    (563) 488-3893

    Information

    Camp Bear Creek is a Christian summer camp located in Jones County, Iowa. We have summer camp programs for kids in kindergarten through 12th grade! Campers will get to experience a variety of activities like archery, kayaking, climbing tower, zip lines, hiking, crafts, Bible study, worship, swimming, and more!

  • Camp Tanager – Free Overnight Summer Camps for kids 5-11 years!

    Location
    Camp Tanager, 1614 West Mount Vernon Road, Mount Vernon, IA 52314
    Audience
    Campers ages 5-11 years
    Cost
    Free (based on eligibility)
    RSVP
    Apr 30, 2026
    Organization
    Camp Tanager
    Contact
    Donald Pirrie
    Email
    campmail@tanagerplace.org
    Phone
    (319) 286-4510

    Information

    Parents—ready to get your kids off the couch and into the great outdoors this summer?

    At Camp Tanager, kids ages 6 to 11 unplug from screens and plug into real fun—like swimming, team-building games, group adventures, and fresh weekly themes that keep things exciting all summer long!

    Our Free Overnight Summer Camp Program is available to families that qualify for free/reduced school meals and offers weekly sessions June 7 to August 7—so there’s plenty of time to play, grow, and make amazing new friends! For our youngest campers (5-7 years) we also offer a 2 day overnight program to give them a short but fun packed camp experience!

    Spots fill up fast—visit camptanager.org today and give your child a summer they’ll never forget!