Coeur d'Alene Newsletter
Bringing university resources into communities across North Idaho is at the core of the U of I Coeur d’Alene mission. Arguably nowhere is that effort more impactful than in Idaho’s high schools where thousands of students start their Vandal journey with our dual credit program. Now, the opportunities and impact are only growing as we mark the 25th anniversary of dual credit at U of I.
Just look to Post Falls, home to more Vandal dual credit students than any other high school in the state. With its latest additions coming this fall, Post Falls High School will now offer 17 U of I courses on site. These courses can be life changing for students like Cordelia Cook. Her path to a Chemistry degree is already stacked with nine credits from U of I and another 40+ credits from our education partner, North Idaho College.
Cordelia’s high GPA earned her the Vandal Pride Award of $6,500 a year through the Go Idaho! Scholarship Program. We’re cheering her on as she takes her studies to Moscow in the fall and joins the Vandal Spirit Squad.
Stories similar to Cordelia’s can be told across the region. In 2021-22, 450 high school students in North Idaho enrolled in more than 50 U of I dual credit courses delivered at seven area high schools. Thanks to the work of our Academic Program Development Manager Christina Cox, our high school partners and U of I’s dual credit team, exciting additions await for the new school year. Here are just a few:
- North Idaho STEM Charter Academy will launch its Cybersecurity dual credit course, complementing the university’s burgeoning cybersecurity degree programs available in both Coeur d’Alene and Moscow.
- Coeur d’Alene High School will introduce 200-level dual credit English courses, taking students further into their college-level exploration of the subject.
- At Lake City High School, recent High School Teacher of the Year Shelly Blank will help future educators set a course toward teaching when she revives Contexts of Education.
Supporting our local K-12 schools remains a top priority for the center, not only through dual credit, but through experiences in the field, behind the scenes and on the job. Read on to learn how U of I Coeur d’Alene is connecting teachers and young students with major industry players over the summer, and how we plan to build a more robust pipeline of leaders in education come this fall.
It has been a privilege to move here from Moscow and serve as CEO until we hire a permanent CEO which should happen soon. We have a dedicated and talented team in Coeur d’Alene working hard to implement U of I’s mission in this area.
Sincerely,
Larry Stauffer
Acting CEO, University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene
Save the Date
June 30: Riverstone Summer Concert
Sponsored by U of I Coeur d’Alene
Join the center team and the office of alumni relations for an evening of free rock music by The Rub from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, June 30 at Riverstone Park in Coeur d’Alene. The Vandal Boosters will meet at nearby Bardenay beginning at 5 p.m. ahead of the concert.
July 28: Vandal Day at Silverwood
Get your discounted tickets now for a fun-filled day with fellow Vandals, starting with early access to Roller Coaster Alley and wrapping up with the Vandal Family BBQ dinner.
Congratulations, Coeur d'Alene Students!
See the complete list of the 2,479 Vandals who made the most recent Dean’s List.
Idaho Women of the Year
Congratulations to Coeur d’Alene Professor Julie Amador who was recently named a 2022 Women of the Year honoree by the Idaho Business Review. Amador is a mathematics education professor and director of the Region 1 Idaho Regional Mathematics Center. She’s a past recipient of U of I’s Mid-Career Award and currently leads a $2.7 million study on rural math coaching. Philip Scruggs, interim dean for the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, says Amador’s work “exemplifies the land-grant mission of the University of Idaho.” Amador is active in the community, serving on the boards of directors for Coeur d’Alene Rotary and the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber, as well as the advisory board for the KROC Center.
North Idaho Principle Cohort
In response to an overwhelming demand from schools across North Idaho, Coeur d’Alene Assistant Professor Liz Wargo will lead a fresh cohort of future leaders in education starting this fall. The Region 1 Principal Cohort is a two-year Master’s in Education program to prepare current teachers for principal positions at K-12 public schools. “It’s our obligation as a land-grant university to help our schools in the Panhandle thrive,” Wargo said. Similar to the West Ada Cohort started last year, the local program will combine in-person and virtual learning and take place outside of business hours.
Integrating Education & Careers
Did you know hiring managers across the board are in search of employees with better writing skills? It’s one lesson Kootenai County teachers took away from the most recent Integrating Education & Careers (IEC), a professional development course created by the Coeur d’Alene center team. This year educators visited Continuous Composites, Avista Utilities, Miller Stauffer Architects, Knudtsen Chevrolet, ALK Source Materials and Ednetics. The goal of IEC, made possible with support from the Idaho Workforce Development Council, is to connect educators with thriving local businesses to better align K-12 lessons with local industry needs.
10 Years of Dig’nIT
This week, the latest class of Dig’nIT Interns begins a summer of immersive learning alongside regional partners in technology, healthcare, economic development and the arts. We recently checked in with some of the first Dig’nIT interns to see how the experience shaped their path.
Thank you to the Coeur d’Alene Tribe for providing a $15,000 grant in support of this year’s Dig’nIT cohort. Host sites for the 2022 season are the Art Spirit Gallery, Exbabylon IT Solutions, Gizmo CDA, Gravis Tech, Northwest Specialty, One Small Step, Silver Valley Economic Development Council and xCraft.
Stormwater Education
U of I Coeur d’Alene’s Community Water Resource Center (CWRC) teamed up with agency partners to launch a new campaign in hopes of increasing awareness of issues related to invasive species and stormwater pollution. The new signs feature Coeur d’Alene’s cutest duo, Mudgy and Millie, and can be seen at the downtown boat launch near McEuen Park.
The CWRC’s water education efforts also extend up the Silver Valley, where partners from Our Gem begin a video tour of the Coeur d’Alene basin in support of the National Academy of Science study on water quality in the lake.
Woody's Sustainability Spotlight
Sustainability. The mention of it can bring up praise, scorn, foreboding, anger and every emotion in between. I’m just referring to my own family discussions. The University of Idaho has a strategic desire to be known for sustainability. However, to be known for sustainability it’s important we all know what it is. According to the EPA, sustainability is about creating and maintaining conditions which allow humans and nature to exist in productive harmony. We’re trying to do our part at U of I Coeur d’Alene. We’ve replaced colored and scented hand soaps with foaming clear soap, resulting in less waste and fewer chemicals down the drain. We’re also using LED lightbulbs. It’s incredible how much electricity LED bulbs save, and they don’t contain mercury as florescent lights do. The next time you have a bulb burn out try replacing it with an LED and join us on a journey toward a more productive world for ourselves and for others. This is not just about protecting the environment. Sustainability is living in a way that will bring about the good of everyone and using the environment in a way that will help this world flourish now and always. – Mike “Woody” Wood ’97, Building Superintendent