Burlington, IA- The Burlington Community School District will be one of four in the state to create a student support pantry, made possible by a new partnership between Molina Healthcare of Iowa and the Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates program.
“The goal of this grant is to allow students to focus on their goals and the things that they need to achieve, so we’re really excited about the opportunity to be able to do that,” Jennifer Vermeer, plan president for Molina, said Monday at Burlington High School before she and other Molina representatives presented iJAG with a check for $25,000.
“Burlington High School is very excited to be selected by iJAG as one of only four school districts in the state to partner with Molina, and we know this partnership is going to allow our students opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t be made available,” BHS Principal Monica Myers said. “Whether it be through food insecurities, their basic personal needs, or related influences, this partnership will make a really positive impact on our students.”
According to a news release, this past school year was the first that iJAG was made available to BHS juniors and seniors. This fall, the program will be available for freshman and sophomores, as well as seventh and eighth grades at Edward Stone Middle School.
iJAG is a non-profit organization that partners with school districts and private businesses to deliver grades 7-12 career development programming such as leadership training, career education, individualized guidance and employer engagement.
There currently are about 165 iJAG programs serving more than 8,200 students across the state of Iowa.
To learn more, visit bcsds.org, or the BHS Facebook Page.
